Nobody's Perfect
by HugzForFree
Summary: Quinn can't wait to get away from home to start her freshman year at Yale. She has three roommates she never thought she'd one day call friends. Especially Santana. Quinn is inexperienced and Santana is a commitment phob. They clash from the start but some way, some how, become much more to each other than either thought possible. Quinntana...AU
1. Chapter 1

**OKAY GUYS, I'M NOT SURE WHERE THIS IS COMING FROM BUT I'M FINDING MYSELF A LIL OBSESSED WITH QUINNTANA. I LITERALLY CAN'T STOP COMING UP WITH IDEAS. HOPE YOU ALL LIKE THIS AS MUCH AS THE OTHERS : )**

**FOLLOW MY TUMBLR? I'M NEW (sgt-awesome) WE CAN TALK AN STUFF...**

A fresh start is defined as an opportunity to start over without prejudice. That's what attending Yale University is for Quinn Fabray, a fresh start. The chance to be whoever she wants to be. A chance to leave behind all her painful memories and start anew. The decision to go to Yale, which was over 2500 miles from Tucson, was an easy one. She could have gone to Arizona state and stayed closer to the place she's called home since she was 15, but that wasn't something she remotely desired. Quinn wanted a second chance, she wanted something new, and something far away from the place she was forced to live.

Her sister, who's 11 years her senior, took her in when she had nowhere else to go. Francine, or Frannie as most people called her, was married by 20 and following her husband to Arizona by 22. She made Quinn an aunt when she was just 23, and when Francine was 25 she got a phone call that changed their lives. There were two options, allow her 15 year old sister to come live with her, her husband and three year old daughter, or allow her to become a property of the state of Ohio. She chose the former. So before Quinn could say Tucson, she was on an airplane with her life packed up in two suitcases and three boxes. Living in Arizona was a far cry from Cleveland. It was the middle of November three years ago when she was last in Ohio. It was 40 degrees outside. When she walked out of the airport to meet Frannie's husband, Jake, it was 73 degrees. Far cry indeed.

It wasn't that she didn't like Tucson, it wasn't that she didn't like her sister or even her brother in law. She just preferred to stay to herself. Her parents wanted her to go to their alma mater, Ole Miss, so that's where she was going. But when they were no longer around to tell her what she should or shouldn't be doing, she decided she'd try to get into an ivy league. To do that, she had to keep her nose in her books, and that's exactly what she did. Her room became her sanctuary where she spent endless hours studying and reading, sometimes for leisure, but mostly to put herself ahead of the curve. She graduated with a 4.0, received a 2300 on her SATs, and had her pick of Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, and Columbia. Cornell and Columbia were immediately eliminated because she had no desire to be in a big city like New York, she applied just to see if she could get in. Harvard, Princeton, or Yale would do, so she wrote each university down on a piece of paper and stuck the selections in a hat, she had her almost six year old niece pick. Yale it was.

Quinn didn't have much of a social life, which worried Frannie, who was a social butterfly. Frannie tried to get her to go to school functions, but Quinn told her she needed to study. When junior prom came around Frannie insisted she should go, but with no date prospects, she declined. When senior prom rolled around Frannie begged her to go, once again she was dateless so she emphatically told her she would not be attending, and that she had better things to do than by an expensive dress and drink punch. One day after a long meeting with her school newspaper crew, she came home to a house she thought was empty. That was until she heard her big sister sobbing, she gingerly tip toed up the steps and poke her head in their master bedroom. Frannie was on the floor with her husband at the foot of her bed. He had his arms secured tightly round her as he tried to sooth her. What truly broke Quinn's heart was the picture of her family Frannie was clutching. Her heart shattered when she heard Frannie talk about why she was so upset.

"Mom would hate me if she could see Quinnie, she'd say I failed her!"

"No baby." Jake tried. "You've done a fantastic job with her, are you kidding me? She gets straight A's she's never been in trouble, she got an early acceptance into Yale. Your mom and dad would be proud."

"You don't get it Jake! That's all she does is school work, she doesn't care about having friends or dating. I can't even get her to go on her prom. Mom would kill me if she knew Quinnie wasn't going on her prom, she was so excited when I went and I remember her specifically saying how anxious she was for Quinn's. Mom and dad would think I'm a failure because since she's come to live with me..." She trailed off and her sobs took control of her. Jake held her tighter, the couple unaware of Quinn crying silently in the doorway. "Since she's been here...I haven't helped her Jake, I haven't made sure she was okay...emotionally. She just stays in her room, and reads! I'm such a crappy big sister, they hate me, I know they do!"

Quinn went back downstairs and slipped out the front door. She jogged to her Prius and drove to her favorite place to escape besides her bedroom, silver bell lake. She sat on the edge of the lake with her feet in the water for endless hours, thinking. Once she left she realized she'd left her phone in her car, she unlocked the screen to see a dozen missed calls and a few dozen texts, all from Frannie. She called her to say she was okay and on her way home. When she walked through the door her sister threw her arms around her and squeezed her so tight, she had trouble breathing.

Quinn stood in their foyer and told her sister she decided to go to prom stag and needed her help to find a dress, she received a second hug, tighter than the first. Frannie took too many pictures and gave her enough hugs and kisses to last her for a year. Quinn drove herself and had a great time during her prom. She sat at her favorite spot at the lake and fished all night. Her alarm went off at midnight and she packed up and headed home. Frannie was waiting for her in the family room and was bouncing in her seat waiting to hear about Quinn's night. Quinn wasn't a liar, she detested dishonest people, but the lies she told her sister about prom night were well worth the smile it put on her only sister's face.

Quinn's things had already been shipped to Yale so she set her mind on driving. She left Tucson the day her dorms opened, it would take her two days to make the trip, but it was worth it to have her car with her in New Haven. Frannie cried far longer than Quinn liked, she hugged her tight and asked her one last time if she'd reconsider Arizona state. Jake told his wife she was out of her mind because their little sister was going to be a fancy Yale grad someday, and he was proud. Leaving Tucson, Frannie, and Jake wasn't hard, she welcomed the distance from the constant reminder of her parents. Leaving Lucy was hard, her sweet little niece that was named after her. When Quinn was 7 she insisted on being called by her middle name because it was "different", so after a few tantrums, no one called her Lucy anymore, and her mom even enrolled her in school by Quinn. Frannie had named her Lucy, so when she stopped going by the name, she named her daughter after her.

Quinn was sure that the only person on the planet that actually understood her was little Lucy, when they had discussions, she'd forget she was talking to a six year old. Children were easy, her peers were hard, so if there was anything she was regretting leaving behind, it was Lucy. She promised her she'd Skype her as often as possible as she wiped away a few of her niece's tears. She stood up, gave all her family one last hug and walked out the door. If it wasn't for her niece and her nephew that was on the way, she knew she'd never return to Arizona. She'd have to go back eventually, but one thing she was certain of, that was no time soon.

The 37 hour trip took her 50 to complete, with a couple of stops to eat or sleep and she was finally at Yale. She walked into her dorm building and up the steps to her apartment style dorm room, where she would have three roommates. Quinn was dead set on getting an off campus apartment since she'd be able to afford it with the lump sum of money she received on her 18th birthday, but Frannie convinced her otherwise. She made her pinky promise she'd give it at least one semester of having roommates. If there's one thing Quinn Fabray doesn't do, its break a pinky promise. She said she'd give it one semester and that's what she'll do. The second the winter break begins, she planned on living in her new apartment.

She stood outside of the light wood door and checked her face in her compact mirror, which Frannie thought she'd give her to make her more interested in make up, which it did not. She looked at her greenish hazel eyes and they looked tired. She ran a hand through her shoulder length blonde hair and closed her compact. She tried the doorknob and it was open. The first room she was in was a very small kitchen, there was a two burner stove, and a mini refrigerator and some cabinet space above the counter that held the microwave. She walked further into the apartment to see two girls sitting on a burgundy dorm style couch. On either side of the couch were two matching chairs. Directly to her left was a small dining area with a table and two chairs opposite each other. To her right was a room that she could clearly see had both beds occupied. The girls stopped mid conversation to look at her. One girl was Asian with midnight blue hair, the other girl was petite with olive skin and big dooey brown eyes. She smiled at Quinn and her teeth were perfectly straight. The Asian girl stayed seated on the couch while the tiny one hopped up and bounced over, extending her hand.

"You must be Lucy, I'm Rachel Berry and this is Tina Chang." She motioned towards the still seated girl who waved and offered a shy smile.

"No one calls me Lucy, please Quinn." She politely said and offered both girls a smile.

"Okay Quinn, so nice to meet you, let me show you to your room." They walked the short distance to the other bedroom, Rachel pointed out the bathroom on their way. There were two sinks, _convenient_, she thought. She walked into the room and saw her roommate had already set up on the left side of the room. There was a desk at the foot of both beds with three long drawers, only one night stand, which separated the mattresses, and a large closet. The beds were much closer than Quinn would have liked but she knew she'd spend most of her time at the desk anyway, and if she was lucky, her roommate would spend her time out and about.

"I guess I should let you get settled, now that you're here we just have to wait on out other roomie to return so we can have a meeting."

"Uh, what's that?" Quinn asked, pointing to a box on her bed.

"Oh, your personal roomie brought all of us one of those after she laid down on the bed and said, and I quote, "fuck this shit." She got up and stormed out, she came back a half an hour later with one for each of us. It's a memory foam top, it's incredibly comfy." Explained Rachel.

"Oh, okay. Do you know how long she'll be?"

"Not exactly but she's been gone a while, shouldn't be much longer. Do you need any help?" The smile on Rachel's face hadn't disappear since Quinn walked in.

"Oh no. Thank you though."

"Holler if you need anything." Rachel called from over her shoulder as she walked out, closing the door behind her.

Quinn looked at her roommate's side of the room. An acoustic guitar laid across her bed, her comforter was black and so were a the rest of her linens. She had a push-pin board hung directly above her bed. There were plenty of pictures, so Quinn went over to get a closer look. Mostly the pictures were of three girl's, she wondered which was her roommate. There was a blonde with striking blue eyes, a dark haired girl with the fullest lips Quinn had ever seen, and a very pretty girl with auburn brown hair and light bluish grey eyes. As Quinn looked over the pictures her eyes widened at the sight of the girl with black hair kissing the girl with brown hair. She looked closer and saw a few more intimate pictures of the two and quickly looked away, feeling like she was invaded the girl's privacy.

In two hours Quinn's side of the room was completely organized and so was her side of the closet. She laid down on the bed with her memory foam and was suddenly very grateful to her apparently generous roommate. Her eyes closed and she tried to not think about the fact that her roommate was more than likely a lesbian. The knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in."

"Hey." Rachel came in and still had a smile plastered on her face. "You all done?"

"Yep, pretty much."

"Here," Rachel handed Quinn a cell phone. "Put your number in there and hand me yours." Quinn did as she was told and they exchanged phones back. "Now I'll text you our other roommate's numbers so we all have each other's."

"Okay, thank you."

"You're very welcome Quinn. Would you like to come out and chat with us?"

"Uh..." Quinn thought about Frannie's last words to her. _Quinn please, for the love of God please try to be more social. College should be an experience of a lifetime. But what exactly will you be experiencing if you live in the library?_ "Um, yeah, sure." Quinn got up and walked out to the living room area. She sat in one of the armchairs and Rachel asked her about herself. After giving vague answers about herself she asked Rachel and Tina similar questions about their lives. In the middle of one of Rachel's run on sentences, the door opened. Apparently it was the girl with the long black hair that was her other roommate. She was wearing cut off blue jean shorts and a grey tank top that had Jimi Hendrix on it. Her black Doc Martens were untied and a beat up brown wide brim fedora donned her head. She had a full sleeve of tattoos on her right arm and her left arm was catching up. There were a pair of comedy tragedy mask on either of her hands and her knuckled had letters Quinn couldn't read. There was a large anchor on the right side of her neck with the words me, myself, and I on the bottom of it. Both her thighs were covered, on the side of her right thigh there was a large lion crawling upwards. Her left thigh was almost scene for scene Alice in wonderland, circa 2010. From her ankle up on her left leg was nothing but words, some of them looked like scriptures, Quinn thought. The side of her calf on her right leg had a picture of Jesus with the words King of Kings over top of it.

"Santana, you're just in time." Rachel said.

"For?" She asked with little interest.

"Our roommate meeting. This is Quinn." Rachel pointed at Quinn who nodded and smiled in Santana's direction.

"Hey. Uh, I guess we can have this silly meeting but make it fast, I'm depressed." Santana crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

"Oh no, what's wrong?" Rachel looked and sounded genuinely concerned.

"I've been out there for like three hours and couldn't find any quality snatch. I'll have to search harder tomorrow."

"Snatch?" Rachel asked, confused, looking up a Santana from her position on the couch next to Tina.

Santana's head flew back as she laughed loudly, when no one else laughed with her, he face returned to normal. "Oh, you were serious? Well snatch is a crude way to refer to lady parts." Santana pointed in the direction of Rachel's crouch.

"Oh. Ohhhh, Okay, I see. Snatch, gotcha."

"Is that a problem Berry?"

"I'd assume since you couldn't find any, it is indeed a problem for you. Better luck tomorrow." Rachel smiled and Quinn couldn't tell if she was being serious or not.

"You making fun of me for being gay? That's a semi hate crime." Tina snickered a bit at Santana's words. Santana scowled at Rachel. "I could report you."

"I assure you I wasn't making fun of you, don't be absurd. I fully support the LGBT community. I'm sorry you could not find a random girl to share a dalliance with. And I'd really like to see you report me when I have two dads, they'd laugh at you."

"You were raised by two men?" Tina asked.

"Wanky." Santana said with a smirk. She finally moved from the wall and sat in the chair across from Quinn.

"Yes, I have the best dads in the world. You will all meet them this Friday for family weekend. Now let's get to the rules we shall set for the dorm." Quinn could tell Rachel was used to being in charge.

After a laundry list of dos and don'ts they all headed to their rooms to turn in for the night. Santana flopped on the top of her mattress while Quinn sat at her desk and opened her laptop. She logged onto Skype and sent a text to her sister.

"Hey Santana?"

"Yep?"

"Thank you. For the memory foam, it was very sweet of you."

"No probs blondie."

"Excuse me?"

"You're blonde right? So your new name is blondie."

"My name is Quinn and I appreciate being called by it."

"You're _name_ is Lucy, you go by Quinn and I'll be calling you blondie, or Q. Yeah I like that, I'll alternate."

Before Quinn could say anything else to her new roommate her sister's call came through on her laptop, so she turned away from Santana and answered the call.

"Aunt Quinnie! I miss you so much already. Mommy doesn't let me have gummy bears with my movie like you do."

"Ask daddy L.J., I'm sure he'll sneak you a few." She winked at her niece. She felt Santana come up behind her.

"And who's this cutie?"

"I'm Lucy! Hi! Are you my aunt Quinnie's roommate?"

"I sure am. Wait, your name is Lucy too?" Santana asked with excitement while Quinn was growing irritated with her lack of respect for personal space. Even though Santana smelled incredible, she wanted her to back up.

The little girl nodded. "Yep, my mommy named me after her since she doesn't use it anymore, so it became mine."

"Aw, that's so sweet Lucy."

"Yeah, aunt Quinnie is the sweetest. You're so pretty, are you a princess? Aunt Quinnie do you have a princess for a roommate at college?!

"Can you keep a secret Lucy?" Lucy nodded and leaned closer to the screen. "I am a princess, but you can't tell anyone."

"Cool!" She dragged out the word.

Quinn looked over at Santana, whose face was a mere inches from her own. Her scent flitted inside her nostrils even stronger. She smelled like lilacs and strawberries. "Santana, do you mind?"

"Quinnie!" Frannie's face appeared in the screen. "I told her to wait for me but you know kids these days, she can work this thing better than I can. Oh hello." Frannie's eyes fell on Santana.

"Hey there. Bout to make Q an aunt for the second time?"

"Yes, and I can't wait til he gets here. I'm Frannie."

"Santana."

"My roommate and apparent princess." Lucy smiled at her aunt, while Santana chuckled lightly.

Santana looked at Quinn briefly and smiled at her agitation. "So what are you gonna name this one?"

"I'm naming him after Quinn. Quinton Russell Fabray-Cross."

"You're what?" Quinn asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Frannie shrugged. "You didn't ask."

"Wow, you must really love your baby sis huh?"

"I do." She looked at Quinn lovingly.

"What will you name the next one? Q only has two names."

"Santana, honey, there will be no next one. I'm done."

"You excited to be a big sister Luce?" Quinn shot Santana a look that she didn't see.

"Yeah! I can't wait princess Santana." Santana erupted in laughter.

"Santana, if you'll excuse me." Quinn got up and opened the door.

"Bye Frannie, bye Luce!" Santana yelled after the retreating Quinn.

"Bye princess Santana."

Quinn walked out into the hallway and leaned against the wall across from the door. "You already like my roommate better than me and you haven't even officially met her?"

"Oh stop being melodramatic Quinnie. She seems nice, and my God is she a looker! I bet there will be a sock on your door a lot." Frannie laughed. Once she talked to Jake, Frannie and Lucy she hung up and went back into the apartment. Santana was in the shower so she prepared herself for bed. She pulled out her toiletries, towel and pajamas. Quinn glanced over at Santana's pictures again, she had put more up. Santana came back into the room in just her towel, and still very wet. She put her wet hair into a bun and looked at Quinn.

"Marley, and Brittney. My ex and my two best friends." Santana offered.

"You were in a relationship with your best friend?"

"Well I wouldn't call what Marley and me had a conventional relationship. We started experimenting when we were 15 with just kissing." Santana moved into the small space between the two girl's beds, standing right next to Quinn. The strawberry smell was even stronger. "And we kept on experimenting, the kisses turned into necking, necking turned into touching, and touching turned into touching with no clothes on. But I knew she wasn't gay, I've known the girl since kindergarten, Britt too. I know them better than I know myself."

Quinn turned so that she was fully in front of Santana. "Then why go there with her?"

Santana stared at a picture for a few moments before answering. "I wanted her. She was the first and only girl I ever had feelings for. I just wanted her and I took what I could get. So a whole two years of us getting busy and last year she meets some fairy douche named Jacob. He's a ballerina, how the fuck do you fall in love with a ballerina with a dick? Anyway they fell in love or whatever and like three months into their relationship she told me we had to stop getting busy. So we did. They're still together. He goes to Tisch and she's at Julliard."

"Wow." Quinn looks back at the pictures and notices one of a young man wearing the same brown hat Santana had on earlier, just in much better condition. "Who's that?"

"My papi." Santana dropped her towel and climbs in her bed, brushing past a very stunned Quinn. Her body was a masterpiece. "You don't mind if I sleep naked do you? I really hate sleeping with clothes on."

"Uh, I um, no you can...that's, uh, fine." Quinn managed to get out. Santana had tattoos that covered almost all of her skin, but Quinn only caught a glimpse. Quinn gathered her things for her shower, including her pajamas.

"Hey Q?" Quinn turned around. "You got a real nice family." She turned in her bed to face the wall not waiting for a reply and Quinn left to shower.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'VE MODELED CHLOE AFTER SARAH SHAHI**

Orientation the following day was boring but informative. Quinn got her ID picture taken and confirmed her the courses she was taking. Rachel insisted they go out to eat together for "much-needed" roommate bonding time. So Quinn went with Rachel, Tina, and Santana to Pizza Works. Santana drove them in her shiny black Cadillac Escalade.

"So what's everyone majoring in?" Rachel asked after they ordered their pizza.

"Literature." Quinn told them.

"Art." Santana said.

"Pre law."

"Drama. I'm going to be an actress but I'll get my start on broadway." Rachel beamed. "So what kind of law do you want to go into?"

"Uh, corporate I think. What do you plan on doing with an art degree?" Tina asked Santana.

"I'm going to be a world famous artist because I'm amazing. I'll own galleries around the world but I'll settle down eventually and split my time between New York and Paris. That's my dream anyway. So blondie, what do you plan on doing with a degree in literature?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "I want to be a writer. I already have some material, I just want to perfect my craft."

"What type of writing? Romance novels?" Rachel asked.

"Um, no."

"Blondie doesn't know anything about romance."

"It's not that, I would just prefer to write...wait, how would you know what I know or don't know about the subject of romance?"

"My physic Mexican third eye tells me everything I need to know."

"You're Mexican?" Rachel piped in.

"Puerto Rican, but that's not the point. My abuelita told me I was born with the same gift she was and she was never wrong. About anything. Ever. Some of us Lopez get the Mexican third eye, other's don't, I'm just bless by the almighty I guess. So yeah, I see through all of you. Especially you short stack."

"Santana I've asked you repeatedly to not refer to my height. I don't particularly like my small stature."

"Small stature? Is that a nice way of saying vertically challenged?" Santana laughed at her own joke while Rachel pouted.

"Leave her alone Santana." Quinn warned.

"Or what blondie?" Santana challenged from across the table. Rachel, who was seated by Santana put her hand on Santana's forearm.

"It's okay Quinn. I'm not sure why Santana enjoys ribbing us but she's just being herself and we can't fault her for that."

"Yeah, I'm just being me blondie."

"Whatever." Quinn muttered and turned her attention to the TV behind the counter.

"Hey blondie." Quinn ignored her. Santana was truly working her nerves. "Blondie. Q?"

"What?"

"Relax, okay? I crack jokes about all of my friends, if I was nice to you then you could be upset. This is just how I show my affection, it's harmless, lighten up."

Lunch went on without further incident but Quinn was being reminded why she doesn't particularly care to socialize, especially with her own peers. Eighteen year olds were too immature she thought. Santana dropped the girls off in front of the dorm after informing them she was going to search for some snatch. Quinn was napping a few hours later when Santana came barreling through the door with a short brunette girl attached to her lips. They started taking off each other's clothes and their shirts were off by the time Quinn opened her eyes.

"Mind checking to see if there's someone in here before you begin to fornicate?" Quinn spat, rubbing her eyes.

Santana laughed a hearty laugh. "My fault Q, uh...you got three options, you can leave, you can stay and watch, or you could join." Santana wiggled her eyebrows as Quinn hurried out the bed. "What? I haven't had a three-way in a while." Quinn was out the door before her sentence was finished. Over the next couple of days Santana brought back a different girl every night. Quinn thought she'd get a break from being stuck in the living room when family weekend rolled around, but Santana didn't have any family come and visit. Instead of a different girl on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there were five different girls. One on Friday, three on Saturday and two on Sunday. Quinn wondered how Santana managed to get so many girls to come to bed when she hadn't even been kissed yet. She shook those thoughts away and studied her syllabus for each class.

"Santana...Santana...Santana. Fuck yes!" Girl number who knows screamed.

"Yeah, say my name."

Quinn had enough and left to walk to the Atticus bookstore café, where Rachel had gotten a job. After ordering green tea she sat and opened her MacBook. She text her sister and logged onto Skype. After fielding many questions, most of which were about the secret princess in her room, she left to head back to her dorm. Santana was in the kitchen making what looked like quesadillas.

"Hungry Q?"

"Oh, no. Thank you though." She squeezed past Santana. "Oh, LJ says hi, and wonders if you ever had to escape a dragon."

Santana laughed her sweet melodic laugh, flashing all her pearly whites. "Tell her on more than one occasion."

Quinn smiled at her roommate and headed to her room to prepare for bed, she went to the shower and tried not to think about why Santana looked so good in her tank top and boy shorts. When she re-entered her room Santana was smoothing over a very tight black and white houndstooth dress. She had on black knee-high socks and black combat boots. Her dress left nothing to the imagination as it hugged every inch of her toned frame.

"Wearing that to bed?"

"Bed? It's only nine something." She scoffed. "I'm going to the bar, see if I can't beat my record."

"Record?" Santana moved over to the full length mirror they bought at Wal-Mart and hung on the back of the closet door.

"Yeah, my record of how many bitches I can fuck in a weekend. I'm two away. Figure I can bang one at one bar and bang another at some other bar."

Quinn frowned at her words. "Must you call them the B word? Have you no respect for women? You are a woman after all."

"I'm not a woman, I'm a pimp. And I do respect women. I respect how they come all over the place when I fuck their brains out." Quinn shook her head and climbed in bed. No doubt Santana was attractive, that was until she opened her mouth. "What? Why are you shaking your head at me? I hate that shit." She grabbed her black clutch off her bed and waited for a response.

"Why is that all you care about? How many girls you can sleep with."

"It's not _all _I care about."

"What else do you care about then?"

"Uh, my tattoos, they mean a lot to me. My cousin Valentino did most of them. I care about my art, and my mami and papi. Uh, I care about my guitar and my best friends even if one of them is in love with an obvious fanny bandit. And my hat! It's literally the most important thing I possess. And I care about my roommates." She paused and looked at the ground. "I care about stuff." Santana huffed out as if she was offended.

"I wasn't implying that you don't care about other people, it's just, you have a lot of meaningless sex and I was just wondering about love, don't you care about that?"

Santana laughed so hard her whole body was shaking. She looked at Quinn, obviously amused. "No. No love, love kills slowly. I'm not about that life. And what the fuck do you know about love? You've never been in love."

"How would you know? Oh wait, your non Puerto Rican third eye?" Quinn mocked.

Santana laughed a bit louder, Quinn was normally annoyed with her roommate but for some reason, she really liked to hear her laugh. "Good one blondie. Naw it's just...it takes one to know one." She looked over at her collage of pictures. Quinn followed her eye sight.

"Weren't you in love with Marley?"

"No."

"But..."

"I knew what I was to her. We both needed each other in that way. To explore, you know? I love her with all my heart, I'd kill or be killed for her but I was never _in_ love with her. I didn't allow myself to go there because I knew that wasn't something that could last."

"And how would you know if you can find longevity with an individual if you don't let them stay with you past an orgasm?" Quinn retorted.

Santana regarded Quinn for a few beats. "I don't wanna be in love Quinn." She said with all humor gone from her tone. "Love hurts. Why have you never been in love miss I-have-a-thousand-and-one-questions?"

"Just never happened."

"Bullshit. You didn't leave someone home?"

It was Quinn's turn to laugh. She shook her head. "No, not at all." She had never so much as been on a date.

"I find that _really _hard to believe." She states, seriously.

"Why?"

"Because you're so..."

"Hey guys!" Rachel interrupts. "Va va voom Santana, I swear if I were sexually attracted to the fair sex..."

"Yeah I know, you'd want all up on this. Gotta go, see you ladies."

"Bye." Rachel sat down on Santana's bed, she looked over at her pictures. "Santana is so beautiful, like just so super good looking. And sweet and hilarious." She turned her attention back to Quinn. "It's such a waste."

"How do you mean?"

"She could probably make a girl really happy you know, she's so wonderful and I'm sure anyone would love to have her on their arm, but she chooses to do the whole, sex without feelings thing. It's a waste of such an amazing person who'd probably be like the best girlfriend ever. I wonder who broke her heart." Rachel skips out the room throwing a goodnight to Quinn. She turned on her iPod and put her headphones in her ears. Lead sails and a paper anchor by Atreyu floated in her ears and she drifted to sleep.

X

"Santana, you coming? Thursdays are Karaoke night!" Rachel said excitedly.

"Yeah Thumbelina, _that's_ gonna make me wanna go to Bennigan's with you." Rachel gave Santana her infamous pout. "Not gonna happen mini me, you guys go ahead, I have a drawing project to work on anyway so..."

Quinn, Rachel, and Tina left out as a threesome instead of a foursome. When they reached Bennigan's, it was fairly crowded. Tina immediately dragged the other girls over to the beer pong table and waited for the game to be over. They didn't card and the girls were grateful. Rachel didn't want to play so she wandered off to sign up for karaoke. Quinn could have done without her singing, she gets enough of that at home. In the month they've been living together, Quinn must have heard every Broadway number known to man. Although she acted like a bit of a diva, there was no denying Rachel Berry's talent. The girl could sing.

"Hey, you girls next?" A tall handsome Asian boy asked Quinn and Tina.

"Yeah. Ready to lose?" Tina teased.

"Highly unlikely." The other boy said. He was quite handsome too. He was almost as tall as his friend with the prettiest hazel eyes, and a killer smile. "Noah." He offered his hand. Quinn shook it.

"Quinn, this is Tina."

"This is my boy Mike. You girls go to Yale?"

"Yes, freshman."

"We're sophomores. We're bulldogs." Noah boasted.

"Which team?" Quinn asked.

"Football, you should come to our next game.

"Yeah definitely. But stop talking and start tossing so we can kick your asses." Tina said. They all just laughed and proceeded to play. In the middle of the game, which Quinn and Tina were dominating, Rachel sung the first note of I have nothing by Whitney Houston. Noah, Mike and Tina were all mesmerized and Quinn had no doubt her roommate would be huge on Broadway in the very near future. A few lines into the song had the entire bar in silence, listening to Rachel belt out every note, almost as good as Whitney herself. Quinn heard Noah whisper to Mike, asking him if he knew the girl on stage, Quinn leaned back and told him she was her roommate and she'd introduce them. To that he grinned like a fool. When the last note ended the bar exploded with applause and hooting. Rachel humbly bowed and stepped off the stage. Quinn, Noah, Mike and Tina resumed their game, which Quinn and Tina easily won.

"Hey guys, did you like the song?" Rachel asked a bit unsure.

"Of course, you were amazing Rach." Quinn assured her.

"Oh my God! That was so moving, you're incredible!" A strange, obviously drunk, girl said to Rachel in passing, who just blushed and thanked her. With all the talent Rachel possessed, she still managed to remain humble, which Quinn appreciated about her roommate.

"Hey Rach," Quinn started. "This is Mike and his buddy Noah, they're on the football team at Yale."

"Oh really? What are you guys studying?"

"Well Mike is gonna be some bio something engineer and I'm studying music."

"Biochemical engineering." Mike corrected.

"Impressive."

"No, your performance was impressive, how's a little woman like you have such a big voice. That was so amazing." Noah complemented.

"Thank you." She looked away and blushed furiously.

Noah and Rachel chatted while Mike and Tina got to know each other too. Quinn made her way over to the darts board after grabbing a beer. She had never played before but Quinn learned best by watching others, so after spectating a few games, she joined in. She easily won the next seven matches. After embarrassing most of the guys she went to grab her third beer.

"You're pretty good at darts, I've been watching you." The girl was very attractive, Quinn could admit that, and she looked slightly familiar.

"Have I seen you around campus?"

"Yeah." The girl laughed and knocked back a shot of something clear. "We're in world poetry and introduction to narrative together. Am I that unassuming?" She giggled.

"No, no I just, uh...I kinda stay to myself. My roommates dragged me out, but they found some cute boys to flirt with so..."

"They ditched you? That's mean."

"No, they just...actually I ditched them, they looked like they wanted to get to know each other so..." She shrugged.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Quinn may have not had much experience, or any, with dating but she was certain that this girl was flirting with her. She was very beautiful, she had long chestnut brown hair, tanned skin and sexy lips. Her smile was big and her teeth were perfect. She was very attractive and Quinn wondered why she'd flirt with her. "Have a seat." She said when Quinn was taking too long to answer.

"Okay."

"Have you never been hit on in a bar before?"

"Uh, not by a woman. I'm not...I don't...uh." She struggled to tell the beautiful stranger she wasn't gay but truth be told she didn't know what she was.

"It's okay, accepting a drink from me doesn't make you gay." The girl laughed. She put two fingers up towards the bar tender. "I'm Chloe by the way."

"Quinn." The bar tender slid two shot glasses in front of them. Chloe lifted hers towards Quinn so she did the same, they clinked their glasses.

"Bottoms up." She knocked her shot back and smiled at Quinn. "Aren't you gonna drink?"

"I don't know what it is."

"Vodka." After two more shots Quinn wasn't feeling like herself. "So Quinn, I have no chance with you?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. What is it you'd like a chance to do?"

"I could answer that question or I could take you somewhere and show you." She leaned in closer to Quinn's face and her smile made Quinn feel something unfamiliar in the pit of her stomach.

"You're, uh, very forward."

"Only way to be. More shots?"

"No, no, I've definitely had enough. Can I ask you a personal question?" Chloe nodded. "Are you mixed?" The woman's skin tone made her look exotic.

"Yeah, my mom's a Spaniard and my dad's Iranian."

Quinn smiled at her. "What an interesting combination."

"Quinn, I've been looking for you, we're going to head to Bar, you coming?" Rachel asked, giving Chloe the once over. Quinn looked between Chloe and Rachel.

"Um, I think I'll stay and continue my conversation with Chloe here. Besides, I don't want to patron an establishment where the owner wasn't creative enough to name it. You four have fun, and stay out of trouble."

Chloe and Rachel chuckled. "Okay, if you're sure."

"I'll make sure she gets home safe." Chloe offered.

"Yeah, Chloe's got my back. We have a few classes together." Quinn saw Rachel visibly relax.

"Okay, see you back at the dorm, or maybe not." She winked at Quinn.

When Rachel had walked a few feet away Quinn yelled after her. "Use protection!" Rachel turned around and glared at Quinn, then offered her middle finger. She turned back to Chloe. "So can I be honest here?"

"Sure, please."

"You're really attractive, like really, really attractive. You could probably have any guy, or girl in this bar that you could possibly want, why are you wasting time over here with me?"

"How do you figure I'm wasting my time?"

"I'm not gay."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh, I don't know. But I'm not interested in finding out anytime soon."

"Why not?"

"I need to focus on my studies." The girl laughed. "What are you laughing at?"

"You can't date and study?"

"I don't date. Ever."

"I see. Well I don't feel like I've wasted my time. I'm really glad I ran into you though because I've been thinking about you since you first walked into class."

"Really?" Quinn didn't mean to sound as surprised as she did, but she was certainly skeptical.

"Yes. Really. You're so attractive, like really, really attractive." She said mimicking her from earlier. "No, in all seriousness Quinn I'd really like to get to know you. Can you fit in a new friend with your studying?"

"Perhaps."

"Aw come on. Hey, we can study together, we are both literature majors, and I could use a study partner."

"I suppose that would be okay."

Chloe laughed at Quinn's incredulity. "Hey, I told your friend I'd get you home safe, and I always keep my word so, shall we?"

They walked to Chloe's maximum and got in, the ten minute drive was spent singing along to a couple of songs off Katy Perry's first album.

"This is you?" Quinn nodded. "Want me to walk you up?"

"No, I think I can manage, I'm not really drunk, just...tipsy."

"Uh huh, do I get a goodnight kiss? On the cheek of course." Quinn took her seat belt off and leaned in to kiss Chloe on her cheek. "Thank you." They smiled at each other.

"Okay, I better go, class in the AM."

"It's only 11:30, we could stay down here and talk."

Quinn considered it for a moment. "No I better go. But...we could study tomorrow, maybe you could help me find an epic love poem for our paper we have to write."

Chloe's smile widened. "Yeah, sure. I'd love to help."

"Okay, goodnight."

"Goodnight Quinn."

X

Quinn entered her dark apartment and thought Santana had her radio blasting, she was about to reprimand her for playing music so loudly at such a late hour when she realized Santana was the one singing. Quinn walked over to her bedroom and stopped in the doorway, Santana was laying on top of her covers with only her sheet covering her. Quinn could tell she was completely naked and the only thing obstructing her view was a sheet. She was on her back with both her hands behind her head singing a song Quinn didn't recognize.

_I've got a real thing here by my side_

_someone who needs me holding me tight_

_and these special feelings won't ever fade_

_cause I knew from the start you put a move on my heart_

Quinn listened to Santana sing the whole song, her voice was powerful, she thought she could give Rachel a run for her money.

"What song was that?" Santana jumped slightly hearing Quinn's voice, she just giggled.

"Shit Q, you scared the fuck out of me! Don't do that."

"What is it you say? My fault?"

"Yeah whatever." Grumbled Santana as she moved herself underneath her comforter.

"So what song was that? It was so pretty." Quinn asked again while stripping down to her underwear. Santana stared at Quinn's body. "Earth to Santana."

"You must have been drinking." Observes Santana.

"Why do you say that?"

"It's the only time you get undressed in here." Quinn looked down at her zebra print cotton bra and panty set and shrugged. "You put a move on my heart."

"What?" Quinn panicked.

"The song, you put a move on my heart, by Tamia."

"I've never heard of her."

"What? Okay that's it, I'm confiscating your iPod for a few days so I can put some _good_ music on it and you're taking mine so you can acquaint yourself with what music _should _sound like."

"Santana, just because we like different genres of music doesn't make yours or mine better per se. We just have different tastes." Santana looked at Quinn with a blank expression as if she just spoke Chinese. "Whatever, I'm gonna go shower."

"Care for some company?"

"In your dreams Santana." Quinn wasn't sure, but she thought she heard Santana say, "You have no idea."


	3. Chapter 3

**A LITTLE NOTE: THIS STORY WILL BE A FASTER PACE THAN I NORMALLY WRITE BUT ONLY UP UNTIL WE GET TO THEIR DECEMBER BREAK, THEN THINGS WILL SLOW DOWN CONSIDERABLY. ALSO SORRY FOR THE WAIT. **

* * *

_She's sitting next to me and she smells amazing. Oh God, she's leaning over looking at my notes. Just...just pay attention to the professor, act like you're not affected by her at all_.

Quinn could barely hear what her instructor was saying over the thudding of her heart filling her ears.

_I can't believe how beautiful she is, this is ridiculous. How come I've never realize how beautiful women are before..._

"Did you forget your name?" Chloe's light laugh was music to Quinn's ears. She looked around and saw her fellow classmates filling out the classroom.

"Huh?"

"I've said your name like five times, So I was just wondering if you forgot your name momentarily." She laughed again. She stood up and swung her backpack on to one of her shoulders.

"Oh, uh, no, I just have a lot on my mind." She packed up her things.

"Like?" Chloe started walking to the door as Quinn tried to gather herself.

They walked out the class together. "Uh, just stuff."

"Why are you so guarded?" Chloe stopped in front of Quinn, they stood chest to chest.

"Guarded? I'm not guarded, just private."

"Why so private? How am I supposed to get to know you if you keep those titanium walls up?"

"I uh..."

"Let's go to the park, beautiful."

She smiled and let Chloe lead the way. "Okay."

Quinn sat in the park with Chloe for a few hours. Chloe tried to get Quinn to open up but with her social inexperience, she found it difficult to talk about things Chloe wanted to hear so she let Chloe drive the conversation. They ate pretzels and drank lemonade while Chloe opened up about her childhood, dreams and fears. Quinn listened intently and agreed to go out with her later on that night.

Neither of them said it was a date but as she walked back to the dorm she thought maybe Chloe and she were going out on an actual date. This worried her and filled her with anxiety, she'd never been on a date and she never imagined it be with a girl. Maybe this wasn't a date, maybe this was just classmates going out for a drink.

She entered her dorm and heard one of her favorite sounds; Santana singing. Her talented roommate only sung when no one else was in the dorm with her. Normally she didn't recognize any of the music Santana would play or sing, but since she allowed her to put music on her iPod, she recognized the song immediately. She was singing a beautiful song by Etta James called I'd rather go blind. Briefly, Quinn wondered how Santana had the ability to sound so heartfelt about not wanting to lose love when the girl despised anything that resembled the emotion.

Quinn stood in the doorway and watched Santana putting the finishing touches on a sketch. Her jaw fell slightly when she saw what it was of. The large sketch paper had Rachel, Tina, Santana, and Quinn herself on it. Tina was dressed as Batman, Rachel as Robin, Santana was catwoman and Quinn was made to be wonder woman. She studied the depiction of herself and raised her eyebrow. Santana had made her hair longer and her body had more curves than the real thing. She looked...sexy. A word that Quinn had never associated with herself. In fact all four of them looked alluring in their skin-tight costumes, particularly Santana.

Santana sung the last note of the song and added shade to the sky. The four girls were on a rooftop during, what looked like, the middle of the night. Rachel and Tina's capes were flowing in the wind as they both stood tall. Quinn was hovering over the rooftop twirling her lasso. Santana stood with her hands on her hips and her signature smirk on her face.

"Shit Quinn! Why the hell are you always sneaking up on me?" Santana looked at Quinn for a hot second before she realized Quinn had seen what she'd been drawing. "Oh...uh...we had a project and I..." She stuttered and Quinn had never seen her so unsure of herself.

"It's sensational Santana." She hoped that eased the girl's obvious fears.

"What?"

"It's amazing." She pushed off the doorway and stood next to Santana. They looked at each other then at her drawing. "You're so unbelievably talented. Wow...just wow." Quinn had never seen any of Santana's art. The girl was intensely protective over her art and never allowed her roommates even a glance. She closed the oversized sketch book and sat on her bed.

"Thanks." She said quietly.

"You're welcome Santana." Quinn found this aspect of Santana endearing and attractive. The girl normally oozes with confidence and bravado. This humble and reserved side of her was the most beautiful she'd ever seen her. She offered Santana a small smile which she returned, shyly.

Quinn walked into the walk-in closet that they share and started looking for an outfit. Forty five minutes later, and an hour until Chloe was due to pick her up, she still didn't know what she would wear.

"Where are you off to?" Santana questioned from her bed.

"Out." Quinn responded shortly.

"Out where and with who?" The tone Santana used wasn't one Quinn had heard before.

"For drinks and with a friend." Quinn held up two of her dresses side by side.

"A friend? As in one who doesn't live in this apartment? Twitter update," Santana yells. Rachel had come home at some point and Quinn was certain Tina was with Mike since that's where she always was. "Quinn's made a friend!"

"Will you hush."

"Is this a date?" There was that tone of voice again, but Quinn couldn't focus on what it might mean, she had to figure out what to wear.

"No."

Rachel came in their room. "What are you yelling about San?"

"Quinn's got a date."

"What?" Rachel's face lit up like an overly decorated front yard during Christmas. "A date, that's awesome."

"It's not a date." Quinn went back into the closet and ruffled through her clothes.

"If it's not a date then why have you changed ten times?" Santana sounded annoyed. "Just admit you're going on a date Q, who's the guy?"

"Come on Quinn, inquiring minds want to know what guy is lucky enough to be taking you out this evening, so spill." Rachel said as she sat on the edge of Quinn's bed.

"Quinn's gonna get laid...finally." Santana teased.

She emerged from the closet and shifted her eyes back a forth between her roommates. "It's a she and I doubt we'll be having sex so be quiet." Quinn watched all the playfulness leave Santana's face.

"A girl?" Rachel's curiosity was peaked, Quinn knew she'd have to explain. Rachel was the type of girl who didn't know how to drop things.

"Yes Rachel, a girl. And it's not a date, at least I don't think it is."

"What girl is this? Do I know her?"

"You met her briefly actually. At Bennigan's." Explained Quinn.

"Oh! You mean your classmate."

"Yeah..."

"My, my Quinn. She's quite striking." Rachel said, clearly impressed.

"What she looks like doesn't have anything to do with anything Rachel. We're just friends."

"You should wear one of my dresses, we're the same size." Santana said. She got up and went into the closet. She came back out with a tiny purple, long-sleeved dress.

One look at the length, and she knew it would be way above her knees. "I'm not wearing that."

"Yes you are, and I'll do your hair and makeup." Rachel took the dress from Santana and pulled Quinn out the room.

Some odd minutes later Quinn walked out of Rachel and Tina's shared room. Rachel did her hair in loose curls. Her eye shadow was dark and gave her the smoky eyed look. She put barely there blush on Quinn's smooth skin and painted her already pink lips pinker. Santana's dress hugged her in all the right places, accentuating her bust and hips.

"So Santana, the biggest womanizer I know, how does Quinn look?" Rachel gestured to Quinn like she was a prize being presented on a game show.

"Um..." Quinn watched Santana eye her up and down from her spot in the couch, then she dashed in their bedroom. She came back with a black leather jacket that had studs on the lapel. "Here," She held out the jacket for Quinn to slip her arms in then turned her around. "Perfect."

"I agree. Now, have _fun_ on your date." The smile Rachel gave Quinn was a mischievous one.

"It's not a date."

"Sure." Santana and Rachel said in tandem.

"Thanks you guys...see you later?"

* * *

Santana and Rachel flopped on the couch and watched the remade Quinn leave. "Santana?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't happen to be harboring affection for Quinn now would you?"

"What?! No! She doesn't even know if she likes clams or sausage. No thank you."

"Well, the way you were looking at her suggests otherwise."

"She looked hot and let's face it, I'm a dog."

"You always look at her that way Santana." Rachel stood from the couch and walked towards her door. Turning back around, just before she entered, she told Santana something she wasn't expecting. "Don't worry, you're secret is safe with me." With a wink, she disappeared behind her door.

* * *

Conversation during dinner flowed easy, dancing at Club Vandome was fast paced and fun, and the drinks they had at Club Alchemy was more than Quinn had ever consumed. Undeniably, Quinn was drunk. She and Chloe laughed at the guy who tried to suggest a three-way on their way out the door and to Chloe's car. They were still laughing as they settled in their seats, pulling their seat belts around their bodies.

"Maybe he would have been cute if he wasn't wearing a toupee." Chloe laughed out.

"Highly doubtful."

After they calmed down a bit, they stared at each other. "Have I told you how gorgeous you look tonight?"

Quinn's cheeks flushed. "Um, yeah, a few times."

"Well I think it's worth repeating a few more."

"You're sweet."

"Not sweet, just honest." Chloe started her car and they drove back to campus in a comfortable silence. Quinn was a little nervous because they'd been drinking but Chloe drove as if she was perfectly sober.

"So...are you drunk." Inquired Chloe.

"Very."

"You don't seem drunk."

"I suppose I hold my liquor well."

"Why are you single?"

"You know exactly why I'm single, I've already told you." Quinn said.

"Yeah but," Chloe turned her car off and leaned her head back, looking at Quinn. "you're so perfect, I'm sure you'd make someone happy."

"I'd rather focus on my studies Chloe." Quinn's head was spinning so much that she was seeing double. "I should get upstairs."

"Want me to walk you?"

"No that's alright."

"Can we do this again? You know, when you aren't studying." The sarcasm wasn't lost on Quinn.

"Don't be bitter." Chloe laughed hard. "Of course we can hang out again...whenever. Text me when you get back to your dorm."

"Okay, night Quinn." She leaned forward and place a soft kiss to her cheek.

"Goodnight."

Rachel, Tina, and Santana could be heard all the way down the hall. It sounded like they were having a party the closer Quinn got to their door. There was thumping and loud music. She opened the door to find her three roommates dancing to Big Sean. Just as Quinn entered, Tina got on her knees and Santana poured beer down a funnel, which Tina greedily drank.

"Seriously guys, we're going to get another noise complaint!" Quinn yelled over the music. In her drunken haze she couldn't help but stare at Santana's tattoos, which were on full display. Her normal dorm wear was a wife beater and boy shorts, and tonight was no different. She wanted to ask Santana what all her tattoos meant. The tattoo Quinn found the sexiest was the lion that scaled the entirety of the side of her right thing.

Santana came close to Quinn and whispered in her ear. "Like what you see Fabray?"

"Huh?"

"You're staring and I wanted to know if you liked what you see." Her lips brushed against Quinn's ear.

"I was just looking at your tattoos. Anyway," she said, now addressing the room. She turned off the music, "we can't play music this loud, this late."

"It's okay Quinn, Santana basically threatened the last girl who filed a complaint and made her warn everyone else."

"Yeah, Rachel's right, no one will make another one." Tina added. "Whoa Quinn, you look hot!"

"Thank you, I'm going to turn in."

Rachel turned the music back on. "Oh no you're not, you're partying with us."

"No, I'm showering."

The mini party continued as Quinn lotioned herself after her shower. Santana came into their room and closed the door.

"Let me tat you."

"What?"

"You're always staring at my tattoos, so let me tat you."

"I don't think so."

"How was your date?"

"It wasn't a date. She's really sweet and she obviously likes girls but I just don't know." She looked at her foot as she lotioned it.

"You like her?"

"We're just friends Santana. I don't know if I could handle much more."

"What do you want?"

"To focus on school." She said as if that should be obvious by now.

"No, I mean your tattoo." Santana pulled a black briefcase out of the closet and opened it. There were ink cups, gloves, razors, a tattoo gun along with other equipment.

"You're not tattooing me."

"If you can give me a legitimate reason why not, I won't." When Quinn didn't say anything, Santana set up her desk as a tattoo station. "Okay, so what'll it be."

"Santana..."

"I'm tatting you and that's that. Think of how special it will be years from now when we're just memories to each other." It hurt Quinn to think of Santana someday not being in her life. They got on each other's last nerve but she was sure they were forming a bound.

"Why would it be special?"

"Because I gave it to you, now...tell me what you want."

"How about a quote?"

"Okay..."

"I'm so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I'm saying."

Santana snorted. "That's dope. Where do you want it."

"Somewhere people can't see it. And if anyone asks, I only did this because I'm drunk."

"You're drunk."

"Very."

She smiled. "You're an elegant drunk...nice."

After trying not to squirm in pain during her tattoo, Quinn looked in the mirror at the finished product. Santana suggested she place on her left rib cage, that way it would always be concealed. It hurt like a bitch and took about an hour, but Quinn knew Santana had been thoughtful enough to take her time and perfect the tattoo. She stared at it in wonderment, the script looked perfectly professional.

"Wow Santana..." The girl never ceased to amaze her. "It looks so good. Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah. The first one's free of charge but anymore and it's fuck you pay me."

She looked away from the tattoo. "I won't be getting anymore."

Santana laughed. "Yeah right blondie, tattoos are addictive, you'll be coming back for more, trust me."

* * *

A massive headache pounded heavily on Quinn's head. She squinted her eyes and caught sight of her shared alarm clock on the night stand. 12:46. Santana was nowhere to be found but there was a glass of water and two Advil sitting on the night stand. Quinn read the post it note attached to the cup.

_Pop these pills and drink up blondie. You came home drunk then drank half a bottle of vodka with Berry. Lol!_

_-the best roommate in the history of the world._

Quinn rolled her eyes at Santana's arrogance and smiled at her thoughtfulness. She gulped down the pills and half the glass of water before going to the bathroom, saying good afternoon to two of her three roommates. She reached down to turn the shower on and felt a sharp sting on her side. Under her shirt was saran wrap taped to her rib cage. Upon further inspection in the mirror, she zoomed out the bathroom.

"What the hell is this?!" She screeched out, holding her shirt up.

"A tattoo." Santana said calmly.

"When did I get a tattoo?! And why didn't you stop me?"

"I'm the one who gave it to you." She shoveled the last of her cereal in her mouth and walked towards the kitchen area, Quinn followed.

"You what?! Santana Lopez I could kill you!"

"Relax, let me look at it." She put her bowl in the sink then turned to face Quinn, she lifted her shirt and carefully pulled off the dressing. "Damn that looks good." Quinn glanced down and it did look very good. "I'm the man." She smiled at Quinn. "Is that the shower I hear?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You can't get this wet for twenty-four hours. Come here." She pulled Quinn by the wrist into their bedroom. "Lay down." Quinn gave her a look that said she would do no such thing. "Just lay down, and hold your shirt up, I'm not going to molest you."

She laid on her bed and Santana opened up a jar that read Tattoo Goo. "What's that?"

"It's tattoo aftercare." Santana softly rubbed it on Quinn's tattoo. "I know it stings a little but that will go away as the day progresses, then you won't feel anything at all. I'll look after the healing okay?"

Santana did exactly what she told Quinn she would do. She periodically applied the Tattoo Goo throughout the day and Quinn got yelled at for trying to sneak in the shower. It was the first Saturday since school began that Santana didn't go out or have a girl come to her. Quinn would have met up with Chloe, but she didn't want to leave the dorm without showering so they made plans for the following day.

After her nightly ritual, including finally showering, Quinn laid in her bed and floated in and out of consciousness.

"Q?" Santana whispered. "You still up?"

"I'm trying not to be."

"You don't mind if I masturbate do you?"

Quinn laughed, thinking Santana was joking. "Go to sleep Santana."

"I need to get off first." She stated seriously.

"You can not be serious right now." Quinn shook her head then nuzzled into her pillow.

"What? Masturbation is healthy, look it up. Anyway, I didn't get any today or last night for that matter so I'm horny." She was practically whining.

"Go do it in the bathroom, I'm too tired to get up." She yawned loudly to emphasize her point.

"But I'm too tired to get up."

"Yet not too tired to masturbate?" She quipped.

"There is no such thing as being too tired for an orgasm, ever. I'll be quiet, I've never disturbed you in your sleep before."

"You masturbate while I'm sleeping in the bed not even two feet from yours?" Quinn somehow felt simultaneously amused and violated.

"Yep."

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation. Fine, I'll leave."

"Yay, come back in ten minutes."

Instead of ten minutes she waited thirty minutes after getting distracted by her tumblr feed. She tiptoed back in the room and saw a sleeping Santana. She crawled in her bed and was out the moment her head hit her pillow. In the middle of the night, the time, she couldn't say for certain, she woke up to soft whimpers. As her sleeping state wore off, she recognized the sounds to be moaning. Santana was in her bed moaning. Quinn opened her eyes to see Santana with her legs spread wide and her hand moving in between her legs. Her sheet was around her feet so Quinn got a pretty good view of her naked skin, as much as the moonlit room would allow. Quinn couldn't believe she was watching Santana pleasure herself but she couldn't look away. For a moment she wondered why she was masturbating again when she already had a few hours earlier, but her thoughts became a jumbled mess when Santana's back arched off her bed. Her free hand came up to her mouth to muffle the sounds she was making. Quinn had never been so turned on in all her life.

Santana's hand moved faster and faster inside of her. The wet slapping noises were so erotic they almost made Quinn get up and join her. But for the moment, she was content just watching. Santana's right hand left her mouth and slid down to her breast, Quinn watched her squeeze it and pull on what looked like a nipple ring. She had no idea Santana had her nipples pierced. Her right hand traveled further down and started rubbing in circles. Quinn could only surmise that she was stimulating her clit while her other hand pumped in and out. She couldn't see everything but she certainly saw Santana make herself come. Her lip was caught between her teeth as her hands stilled, then she shut her legs and rolled to her side, breathing slightly erratically.

Quinn's underwear were soaked and she wanted to do something about the throbbing between her legs but she didn't want Santana to know she'd been awake. So she waited for Santana to go back to sleep before she slipped out the room and into the bathroom. In the shower, with her fingers inside of her, she replayed everything she just witnessed.

* * *

Quinn and Chloe were inseparable for the next two weeks, and although she flirted with Quinn constantly, nothing more happened between them except hugs and kisses on the cheek. Quinn tried very hard to fight off her attraction, but she was slowly coming to grips with the fact that she was indeed quite attracted to her new friend. It had never occurred to her that her lack of interest in dating was because of her lack of interest in the male species. However attracted she was and however much she enjoyed spending time with Chloe, she just didn't have the courage to talk about it so their conversations were often kept light and mainly superficial. Quinn hadn't told her much about her past or about her parents and she didn't ask deep questions either. Any information about Chloe was offered up by the brunette herself. A part of Quinn wanted to open up to Chloe and another part of her wanted to run away.

It was Friday October 7th and Quinn met Chloe on their regular bench for coffee after class. Quinn couldn't have predicted what was about to happen. Santana walked up and everything went downhill from there.

"Hey blondie." Her adorable smirk annoyed Quinn. She was dressed dark wash skinny jeans and a red Adidas hoody. She wore red and white Kamikaze's and a white and red bulls snap back. Two long braids hung around her shoulders. Quinn supposed today was Santana's tomboy day.

"Santana." She said, already perturbed by her presence.

"My goodness, who is your ridiculously good looking friend?" Santana asked, ogling Chloe. She blushed a bit and Quinn's chest started to feel restricted.

"Not gonna happen Santana, go away."

"What's the problem Q?"

Quinn turned to Chloe. "She's the type to hit and run. Or more like hit and kick out. Don't bother."

"I'm not that bad." Santana defends herself and sent a dirty look Quinn's way. "What's your name gorgeous?"

"I'm Chloe." They shook hands but Santana didn't let go.

"Fuck, you're beautiful. Where you been hiding her Q? Why you hanging out with this nerd anyway?"

"Santana!" Quinn's heart was thumping wildly in her chest. Santana was flirting and Chloe didn't seem to mind.

"I'm a nerd too." Chloe said, letting go of Santana's hand. "She's my study buddy, we have a couple of classes together."

"So you girls spend most of your time in the library. Got it." She looked at Quinn. "Why don't you ever bring her to the room to study?"

She narrowed her eyes at Santana's suggestive tone. "Because you're usually knuckle deep in some random whose name you probably don't know." She spat, harshly.

"Fuck you Quinn. That's how you see me? I'm just a college kid having some fun, you wouldn't know shit about that though. And here you have this beautiful girl on a Friday afternoon hanging out with _you_ when she could be having F U N. You ever wanna hang out, you know where to find me. She was just joking about that random thing, right Quinn?"

Quinn looks up at her roommate with sad eyes, but she's sure the Latina doesn't notice. She looks over at Chloe. "Yeah Chloe, I was just joking around."

"Well...we should all go grab a drink, it's almost happy hour." Santana smiled widely.

Quinn stood up and threw her coffee in a nearby can. "I'm not really up for it. I have a lot of studying to do."

Santana smirked and stood right over Chloe. "Well, I could take you out for some drinks. We don't need Q."

"Quinn?" Chloe looked up at her. "It's Friday, surely you can put off studying for a day."

"Not today, you two go ahead, I'll talk to you later." Quinn walked away before either girl could say goodbye.

Santana didn't come back to the room that night and it made Quinn sick to her stomach, especially since Chloe had a single at her dorm. Saturday had been reserved for breakfast, tea, and the library, ever since she met Chloe, but she didn't show up and Quinn didn't bother to text or call her. She already knew where she was. She made it back to her dorm around 4:30 and it was empty. At 5 she got a text from Santana.

**Don't be mad at Chloe, she tried to text you but I took her phone, besides I'm keeping her plenty occupied.**

Quinn turned her phone off and undressed, she stepped under the hot water in her shower and cried. The shower was the only place she allowed herself to cry if she could help it, that way no one could hear or see her. She knew the sudden turn of events were her own fault. If only she had the courage and confidence that Santana possessed.

Santana didn't make it back to their dorm until late Sunday night, Quinn was already in bed, half asleep.

"Don't you dare hurt her." Quinn threatened.

"I wasn't planning on it, I actually kinda like her. If you haven't noticed, I don't let people stay with me past an orgasm." Countered Santana, with sarcasm laced in every syllable. She stripped off her clothes and headed for the shower.

The following days were uncomfortable. She stopped speaking to Chloe all together and felt envy when Santana was absent from their room. Chloe tried multiple times to talk to Quinn but she didn't want to hear anything she had to say. She was certain Chloe liked her but the second Santana came along and flashed her stupid smirk, she fell into her arms. In class she'd sit as far away from Chloe as she could manage. In passing, she'd look the other way. By the following friday Chloe showed up at her dorm.

"Santana's not here." Quinn said and tried to close the door.

"I know Quinn, I came to talk to you." Chloe looked at the ground.

"About?"

"Can I come in?"

Quinn stepped outside the door and closed in behind her. She folded her arms across her chest. "What?"

"Quinn, I really don't understand. One minute we're hanging out all the time and the next you won't even look my way." Chloe said sadly.

"You're having sex with my roommate."

"Okay?" Chloe drawled out waiting for more of an explanation.

"You're unbelievable." Quinn turned to go back into her dorm but was stopped by Chloe gripping her arm. "Get off of me!" She yanked her arm back.

"Quinn why are you so pissed?"

"I thought...it doesn't matter. Are we done here?"

"You thought what?" When Quinn looked away Chloe put her hand on her arm. "It does matter, please."

"I thought you liked me."

Chloe looked at Quinn in disbelief. "I _do _like you."

"Then why did you think it was okay to screw Santana?"

"I had no idea you liked me back. I mean Quinn, I told you how I wanted to talk to you since the first moment I laid eyes on you. I flirted with you and brought you shots that first night. That's universal for "I'm feeling you". But when you didn't really offer much of yourself and didn't really flirt back I thought you wanted to just be friends. Then Santana showed some interest and she has quite the reputation...I just thought her and me could have some fun, which we've done, but we're both just biding our time."

"No, she likes you, she told me. Plus I've never seen her hang around one girl longer than a couple of hours and here you two are going on a week strong."

Chloe shook her head. "Quinn, there's nothing going on between Santana and me except sex. We're all adults...kinda. It's what adults do. But you _have_ to know I have feelings for you."

"Oh do I?"

"Quinn..." She tries to move closer but Quinn pushes her away. "Please..."

"Please what? Try to date you after you've slept with my roommate for the last week?" She yelled.

"Quinn, I didn't know, I thought I didn't have a shot with you. Santana's fun, that's it."

"And that's suppose to make me feel better?" She wondered, angrily.

"Quinn, I'm so sorry."

"Are we done?"

"Are we? You don't even want to be my friend anymore?"

"Stop sleeping with Santana and I'll _think _about it."

"Done, anything else. I'll do anything for you to forgive my lack of consideration and my stupidity."

Quinn softened at her words. "I just...I wasn't ready to tell you, and now you've gone and sullied yourself."

"Sullied?"

"We can't have anything now. All we could ever be is friends." The pained look on Chloe's face broke her heart a little.

"But...why, I made a stupid mistake." She said quietly. "I'm still a teenager, I'm bound to get stuff wrong. Please Quinn, could you at least think about giving me a shot, I didn't know."

"Chloe, you've been sleeping with Santana, I can't."

"Never?"

"No. I'm sorry."

Chloe looked down the hall then at her feet. "Be my friend." She met Quinn's eyes again. "Please?"

"I think I could manage that. You're going to stop this thing with her though right?"

"Yes. Immediately. I'll call her after I leave here."

"Okay, we can work on our friendship then. But that's it." Quinn stated with finality.

"Okay." Chloe unfolded Quinn's arms and pressed their chests together, taking both of her hands into her own. "I could have fallen in love with you." She put her lips on Quinn's cheek and lingered there. She pulled back with watered eyes. "Bye Quinn."

**LATER THAT DAY**

Atticus was a utopia for Quinn. She loved being able to drink tea, read books, and or study at her roommate's place of work. Quinn was patiently waiting for Rachel to go on break, she needed someone to talk to and she was the best option. While waiting, she gave Frannie a ring on Skype.

"Hey Quinnie!"

"Hey Fran. How's everything?"

"Oh you know, same ole same ole. How are you?"

She didn't want to lie to Frannie, but she also didn't want her to worry. "Great, everything's great. How's my nephew cooking?"

Frannie laughed and rubbed her baby bump. "He's almost the perfect temperature. I wish his father would have sex with me though."

"Excuse me?" Quinn was grateful she'd worn headphones.

"He won't have sex with me, thinks he'll hurt the baby. Even though the doctor said it's okay. He was like this with Lucy too, it's annoying."

"Can't you just...take care of that yourself?"

"I can't see my toes what makes you think I'm capable of reaching around this thing?" She pointed to her belly.

"Oh. Sorry?" Quinn snickered.

"Think this is funny huh? Wait til your husband won't sleep with you when you're pregnant, won't be so funny then."

She shifted in her seat hearing those words. With each passing day and her immense jealously over Chloe and Santana, she was coming to the conclusion that she might not have a husband someday. She knew she'd get married, maybe, eventually, but she was beginning to think it wouldn't be to a man.

"Yeah well...I'd like to think I'd marry someone who would have intercourse with me whenever I asked for it."

"That would be nice." She mumbled.

"Aunt Quinnie! Mommy, why didn't you tell me Aunt Quinnie was inside the computer?" Lucy looked at her mother with furrowed eyebrows.

Quinn laughed at her adorable niece. "Hey LJ, mommy was being mean to me."

"Don't be mean to my aunt." Lucy scolded her mother. "Aunt Quinnie where's princess Santana?"

The mention of Santana put Quinn's stomach in knots. Santana had invaded her life in more areas then one. However, Lucy didn't know any of this and didn't need to, so she played along. "She's doing princess stuff. She can't tell me because its top secret so shh." She put her pointer finger over her lips.

"Oh, okay. My lips are sealed. I didn't tell anyone that a beautiful princess lives in your room, so don't worry."

"Awesome. Have I ever told you you're the best niece in the whole universe?"

"Yes!" she covered her mouth and giggled. "Have I ever told you you're the best aunt in the whole galaxy?"

"God, get a room you two." Frannie huffed out. Both Quinn and Lucy laughed and finished up their Skype session just as Rachel came to sit in front of Quinn.

"Talking to your sister?"

"And niece."

"She's so cute." Rachel said.

"Thank you." Quinn smiled down at the background of her laptop which was of Lucy on her first birthday, stuffing her face with cake. She closed her laptop and pushed it to the side.

"May I inquire about your parents?"

The question was innocent enough, but the pain that took over Quinn, paralyzed her. She stayed frozen for a moment, looking into Rachel's eyes, silently begging her to change the subject.

"Okay. Well why did you come here? I know it wasn't just for my impeccable company."

"I need to talk to someone I know won't run around and tell everyone, or anyone for that matter. It's..." She searched her mind for the right words. "It's very personal, and private and I'd die if anyone else knew but...I just can't keep this inside anymore."

Rachel reached over the table and took Quinn's hand. "Quinn, you can talk to me about anything and I swear to you, I'd never tell anyone _anything_. I'm your friend, you can trust me."

Quinn breathed a deep breath through her nose and let out that same breath through her mouth. "Okay. Well, it has to do with Santana so, once again, I have to make sure this stays between you and me."

Rachel nodded. "Of course."

"Santana started seeing one of my classmates last week. At first I thought they'd have a one night stand, like every other girl, and I could deal with that. One time, that would have been no problem, but it turned into an on going thing and I kind of lost it."

"Why's that?"

"I was insanely jealous."

"Of your classmate?"

"No!" Quinn pulled her hand away from Rachel's grasp and gave her an offended look.

"I'm sorry, you said this was about Santana." She shrugged.

"It's involving her but not in that way, I...I was jealous of _Santana_ because I like or I thought I liked my classmate, Chloe."

Rachel put her chin in her hand and studied Quinn. "Alright. Quinn, do you think you might be..."

"I don't know, that's why I need someone to talk to." she responded quietly.

"Have you ever tried anything with a woman?"

Quinn looked around to make sure no one was in hearing distance. "Geez Rach, why don't you say that a little louder."

"Quinn," Rachel took her hand again. "It's 2013, no one would care if you were...you know."

"I'd beg to differ, and to answer your question, no. But I think I would have. Had Santana never got involved I probably could have worked up the courage. Chloe is so beautiful and sweet and just..."

"Sounds like you really like her."

"I did. Then Santana had to sully her." She sulked.

"Sully." Rachel laughed. "You can't be serious."

"I don't want anything to do with Chloe now, sexually that is. I still want to be her friend but I just can't see myself with her any other way now."

"But you could? Before Santana sullied her that is." Quinn took her hand back again and gave Rachel her best glare. "Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing, just answer the question."

"Actually, yeah. I thought about doing things with her that have never really crossed my mind before."

"Quinn, I believe it would be beneficial for you to explore these new found feelings. If you never try, you'll never know."

Quinn sighed. "You're right, but I'm so scared."

"Scared of what?"

"What people will say, how my family would feel about it. Plus, Chloe practically threw herself at me and I still didn't have the courage to act on it. I don't know how to do this Rach."

"How were you when you dated guys?"

"I've never...uh, I've haven't dated anyone before." Quinn reluctantly confessed.

"Ever?"

"Uh...no." She answered quietly.

"Well then...listen Quinn that's alright, dating isn't a race. There's nothing to catch up on. You know Quinn, you're a very pretty girl. You're the pretty girl I've ever met, perhaps you should tell yourself that sometimes." She took Quinn's hand for the third time. "A little confidence can go a long way."

* * *

"What. The. Fuck?! I actually like a girl and you go and ruin it?"

"I didn't ruin anything Santana, and I have a sneaky suspicion you only liked her because she was my friend and you wanted to get to me."

"Oh get over your fucking self!"

"There's no need for that kind of language. Besides I thought you two were just having fun."

"Yeah, but sometimes I like to find a steady fuck buddy instead of bouncing around. Good, consistent pussy is hard to come by. And you went and fucked mine up." She wasn't happy, that much was clear.

"One, I'd rather you call it snatch and two, Chloe is an individual with her own mind, she can do as she pleases." Quinn was done with the conversation so she turned back to her laptop which she was writing a paper on. Santana had stormed in and interrupted her.

"So what, you're going to date her now?" Santana asked begrudgingly. Quinn figured there was no need for Santana to be jealous, she could have any girl on the campus.

"That's none of your business." She didn't look up from her laptop.

"Whatever." Santana slammed the door behind her.

* * *

"I think I'm in love." Rachel swooned after replying to a text Noah sent her.

"Love is stupid." Santana said.

"Of course you'd say that."

"Shut it blondie." Things had been tense between Quinn and Santana since the Chloe thing the previous week. She Rachel and Santana were waiting for Tina to come back so they could all go to Bennigan's for their weekly Karaoke night.

"Love is stupid, who wants the headaches that comes along with it?"

"I do." Rachel said wistfully.

"You know what I love?" Santana asked. "A girl who can dress her ass off with a nice pair of tits."

"You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear." Quinn said, almost absently. "What? It's an Oscar Wilde quote." She defended as she got a weird look from Santana. Oscar Wilde was her favorite writer and she could quote him at the drop of a hat. The tattoo Santana had given her was one of her favorite quotes by him.

"What the hell does that even mean?" Santana asked.

"It means someone...someone can talk to in a way no one has ever spoken to you before. It means someone can touch you a way you've never felt. Someone can look at you like they've never even seen anyone else, just you. That through all the chaos, all the fights, all the misunderstandings, all the ups and downs, you make sense to each other. It means that it's possible to find a connection with another human being that only you two share."

Santana and Rachel just stared at Quinn, mouths agape. "Okay Quinn, you just described perfectly what I feel for Noah, I'm definitely in love."

Santana scoffs and shakes her head. "You can't possibly be in love with this guy already."

"Why not?"

"Because you've only been dating for like two seconds, it's impossible."

"Love doesn't know time Santana." Quinn says. "It doesn't know race or age, or social standing, shape or size, or gender..." She gives a pointed look to Santana. "You of all people should know that love doesn't know anything but itself and when it's present."

"Where'd you get that from? Another quote from Oscar?"

"No, that's all me." Quinn smiled.

"Well I have a quote, wanna hear it?" Santana asked the room. Without waiting for a reply, she stood up. "Listen, smile, agree. And then do whatever the fuck you were gonna do anyway. By the one and only drugged out version of Robert Downey Jr. So, I'm going to listen, smile and agree with your fairytale bullshit notion of love and go fuck a bunch of bitches."

"If you live that way forever Santana, you're going to have one miserable, lonely life infested with STDs."

Rachel laughed at Quinn's words and Santana scowled. "Watch it goldie locks."

**THOUGHTS?**


	4. KINDA IMPORTANT

Hello awesome readers who I thoroughly enjoy writing for. I'm so sorry about my absence. At first, it was to get all these Quinntana ideas out of my head, so I was taking a brief break from "Control" to focus on my multi chapter fics as well as the one shots I'm itching to write. Regrettably, I'll have to take a hiatus with no timetable for my return. For those of you who could care less, stop reading, for those of you who enjoy the stories I write and will miss them, I'm sorry. I love to write and above all else, I LOVE talking to you guys about these stories. I love this site and there are some authors that if they had to take an indefinite hiatus, I'd be upset. So for those who care, I apologize again. Sometimes luck can be bad, I've had some of that lately. My laptop (sorta) blew up, in flames...well there was smoke. Anyway it's completely fried, along with SOOOO much of my writing (thankfully not all of it) and I haven't the slightest clue when I'll get another one. NOW of course I have access to this site through my phone (hence this update) BUT writing (and editing) 5,000 to 10,000 word chapters would be SUCH a pain. Personally I think my writing would suffer because of it. If I'm going to write, I want it to be at least half way decent. I'm not the best, no, but I want what I write to at least be of some quality. SO unless any of you would like to purchase and ship me a brand spanking new laptop, this is the last time you'll hear from me, for I don't know how long. SUPER SORRY, but life happens to get in our way sometimes. Still talk to me if you like, I'll keep up with my email. Even send me prompts still because I'll be writing by hand from now on. OH that reminds me, I WILL NOT STOP writing these stories. I WILL continue on, you just won't be able to read it. The second I get anywhere near a computer, I'll update, but I certainly can't tell you when (and when/if I update, they will be sporadic). Once again, sorry. I totally love (most) you guys! I've made some awesome acquaintances because of this site (who I talk to about more than just writing but especially that), and I've garnered some loyal readers. You're freaking awesome. You inspire me and give me the courage to write my own original work (maybe one day you'll read a book I wrote). So anyway, (sorry, I'm long-winded) thanks for reading these stories and being your awesome selves. Sorry to leave you like this.

: (

-Management


	5. Chapter 5

**Why didn't anyone tell me about line breaks until now? Thanks a lot boringsiot : )**

**There's some personal experiences in here, I'll let you all imagine which are which...**

**Also, let's just pretend like super hot women like Dianna Agron, Naya Rivera, Sarah Shahi and Megan Fox would all be attending Yale. I have no idea what the female student body looks like over there but I just can't imagine. Anywho, the new character I'm introducing (who is important to this story) is modeled after Megan.**

**This chapter is for two VERY lovely ladies, Fender18 for being so awesome and supportive AND Slyfox92 because her birthday was yesterday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY!**

**Thank you for your continued reading. I really like this story, and I love to write. It makes me feel complete and to have people read what I write AND give me feedback is so amazing, and encouraging, so thank you...**

**HEY THIS IS FOR- 1shanelle: What Santana did was definitely a dick move but if you're patient there will be a chapter in the distant future that will explain why she went after Chloe. There will be things that Santana does as the plot unfolds that will probably annoy you and maybe make you want to stop reading...please don't stop. I really want to explore Santana and WHY she is the way she is but that can't happen until I truly explore Quinn. Quinn will be going through some changes and she'll be evolving. With that being said, this story will remain in her point of view for a little while. Once we get to the first chapter that will be in Santana's point of view, I'll start to peel back the layers that is Santana Lopez in my characterization of her. Is she an ass? Yes. Why is she an ass? You'll learn, but only if you continue to read. I don't normally ask people to stick with my stories, I'm REAL quick to tell someone to kick rocks, but after your review, I really want you to continue to read.**

**Okay, I'm done : )**

* * *

When Santana stretches she makes this noise. That noise sounds a lot like a moan and it makes Quinn flush instantly. Her memory of the one and only time she caught Santana masturbating, comes rushing back to her, hitting her like a tidal wave. The memory gives her goosebumps and causes a pleasant, yet uncomfortable, knotting deep in her stomach.

Liking Santana and _liking _Santana were two very different things and Quinn wasn't sure if she felt either. You either hate or love Santana, with very little room for in between, no matter who you are. She's one of those people who either grow on you or you're repulsed and irritated by. Quinn constantly finds herself somewhere in the middle. After what Santana did with Chloe, Quinn had to dig deep within herself to forgive her and move on. Quinn prides herself on being understanding and forgiving. She _understands_ that Santana is the most emotionally inept person she's ever met which causes her to do thoughtless things, and for that, Quinn _forgives_ her. But with Santana laying on her bed in her underwear and a plain white tee, Quinn feels the discomfort of straddling both despising and desiring Santana.

In light of recent events, Quinn has accepted her attraction to the same-sex. With that acceptance, a burden has begun to weigh her down. She can't stop looking at women. Their kissable lips. Their soft skin. Their curves. One woman in particular continually catches her eye; her roommate. Santana is equally perplexing and intriguing. Not to mention devastatingly attractive. Quinn knows she shouldn't look so, if she can help it, she doesn't. She doesn't know if the attraction is purely physical, because she isn't sure how _exactly _she _feels _about Santana, or if it may be something more. She isn't too sure she wants or needs to find out so she distracts herself with writing a short story while Santana strums her guitar, playing a melody Quinn's never heard.

Then she yawns and Quinn heard her stretch her muscles and make that noise. The immediate throbbing between her legs is confusing, irritating and embarrassing. Her mind races to an unwanted territory; what noises would Santana make if they were kissing? The question is dangerous. It implies that she may or may not have the urge to find out.

There's way more than just one reason to ignore the less than desirable thoughts and impulses. If she had the time, she'd make a laundry list of them but let's face it, she attends Yale university, there's little time for list making. For one, she's her roommate, if she were to attempt to find out, things could get more than awkward. However she still plans on moving into a one bedroom near campus. Still, it's a bad idea. Santana is _very_ promiscuous. Reason number two on Quinn's "why I shouldn't even think about her in _that _way" list. Who knows what it is she does with that mouth that Quinn is contemplating kissing. Another obstacle, the size of a boulder, in her way is her own self-esteem. She's not blind, she sees the girls Santana hooks up with, at least a good third of them, and they are always hot. Quinn doesn't think she's unfortunate looking but she would never call herself _hot_.

Santana lives her life at a breakneck speed while somehow remaining leisurely and carefree. Yet another reason to stay away. Quinn doesn't do leisurely. She's a planner. She's the type of girl to start class assignments the day it's handed out instead of waiting a week. They couldn't be more opposite and them kissing couldn't be more wrong.

Quinn tries her hardest to rid herself of the mind frame Santana has put her in unknowingly. It isn't her fault that a slight moan escaped her lips and Quinn immediately thought of her completely naked.

"So now you hate me?" _Where the hell did that come from?_

Her fingers stilled over top her keyboard. Quinn had been trying to convince her, for the last two weeks, that they were alright but Santana apparently wasn't buying it. "For the last time Santana, I don't hate you."

"I don't believe you. You don't even look me anymore."

"I'm working."

"Q..."

"Yes?"

"Are you and Chloe...are you a thing now." Her back is to Santana but she can see her trepidation clearly as if she was looking straight into her mind.

"I've told you before and I'll tell you again, that's none of your business." They weren't but she liked making Santana squirm. Especially after she ruined her chances of being romantic with Chloe. There was no way Quinn could even think about touching her, not even with a ten foot pole.

"I just..."

"You just what? Still want her."

"This is not about her Quinn."

That made Quinn look over her shoulder and stare into Santana's eyes. She searched them but came up empty. The girl was a master at disguising whatever rolls through her brain.

"Then what is this about Santana?"

"I don't want you to hate me and move out or some shit. The girls would hate me then too. I just can't have that."

"What I don't get is why you even live in the dorms. It's not like you couldn't afford off campus housing."

"I could, yeah. But Q, I want to pursue art. That's not exactly a pay 50k right after graduation career choice. I'm conserving my ends and don't change the subject."

Quinn turned back to her MacBook. "When I move out, I'll tell them it wasn't because of you. Happy?"

"What?! Q, I was just throwing out worse case scenario...you're really going to move out because of this shit?!" The panic in Santana's voice created a stir within Quinn, something she couldn't put her finger on.

"Santana I was already planning to move out after Christmas break. That's been my plan since before I graduated high school. Fran asked me to try the roommate thing. I did. I'm done. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a short story to write." Quinn grabbed her notebook and flipped through the pages. Santana came from behind her to close her laptop.

"Santana! What the hell?!"

"You're not moving out blondie. Got it?" Santana was trying to intimidate Quinn, but she didn't see the tough Santana, she saw a very frightened Santana.

"Says who?" Quinn got up from her desk and stood face to face with her roommate.

"Says me, asshole. How are you just going to abandon m-us like that?"

"That was always the plan Santana! Now leave me alone!" She went to reach for her laptop but Santana spun her around by her wrist.

"I knew you hated me." Her voice was low and full of dread.

She yanked her arm away. "Are you even listening?"

"You've never yelled at me before. Not seriously anyway. Now you're screaming at me like you can't even stand me."

"I'm screaming because you just shut my laptop while I'm in the middle of writing." She ran her hands through her hair and let out an exasperated breath. "Why do you even care."

"Huh?"

"If I stay or leave. Why do you care?"

"Will you just please stay? At least til summer. If you still want to move then fine but..."

"Why?"

"I'm sorry okay?! Is that what you want to hear? I'm sorry about the Chloe thing. It was a shit thing to do and I never meant to hurt you, I _swear _Quinn. Just don't move out okay? Please."

Quinn didn't know what was more surprising. That Santana had actually apologized or that she asked for something _and _said please. Twice.

Quinn saw something in Santana's eyes that was equal parts frustrating and intriguing. On most days Santana annoyed her, more often than not she made her furious, but now she just confused her. _Why does she care so much about me moving out? Dammit, how can I tell her no with her looking at me like that?_

"If you give me a good reason, I'll wait until summer."

"If you care at all about the other two girls who live here, you won't move."

Quinn felt like Santana meant to say something else but settled on something she knew Quinn wouldn't ignore. She did care about Rachel and Tina, especially Rachel, she was helping her through the most difficult time in her personal life. Rachel meant a lot to her and she didn't even think what her moving out might do to her tiny roommate.

"Fine, you win, I won't move til summer. Happy now?"

"Very." She sure looked it with the smile on her face. Quinn's heart thumped a bit at the sight. She loved when Santana smiled hard and her eyes got super squinty, it was the most adorable thing. "Now...do you forgive me for this Chloe thing?"

"As long as you never bring it up again."

"Deal."

* * *

The first day of November brought a cold front to New Haven. The girls were getting ready for their Friday classes. Quinn was in the bathroom with Rachel as the shorter girl applied her makeup.

"So, have you and Chloe figured things out?"

"Nothing to figure out Rach. We're just friends."

Rachel looked behind them to make sure no one was in the living room before turning back to apply her mascara. "Have you figured _other _things out?"

"I, uh...I'm pretty sure I am what we talked about."

"And how does that make you feel?"

"Scared out of my mind." She replied honestly. "I have no idea how to even approach this."

"May I offer some advice?"

"I feel like you'd offer even if I said no..."

"Ha ha, very funny." She turned to Quinn. "Be bold, be fearless."

Quinn remained quiet waiting for Rachel to begin her pep talk. "That's it? No long monologue?"

"Nope."

"What am I supposed to do with that?"

"It's pretty self-explanatory Quinn."

"Will you ladies stop flapping your gums? I have to pee." Santana said from the doorway. Quinn thought she looked adorable in dark jeans, a blue Chicago Bears Letterman jacket and matching beanie with her silky, wavy hair spiraling down almost to her waist. In fact, Santana looked good in anything as far as Quinn was concerned.

"Sorry Satan, uh, San, we were just finishing up." Rachel squeezed Quinn's arm and walked past Santana.

"Ass hat." Santana said to the passing Rachel. "You gonna watch me pee Q?"

"Gross. Have a good day Satan."

* * *

Cuddling with Chloe on her twin mattress in her single dorm room had become sort of a habit for them. They'd watch movies or Quinn would listen to her talk for hours. Their comfort level was to a point that Quinn had never experienced with anyone else before. Slowly but surely their friendship went back to them being almost inseparable, and with each passing day, Quinn felt more and more comfortable opening up to her.

On Fridays, they'd have a movie marathon and eat nothing but junk food and popcorn, well Chloe ate the popcorn and periodically stole Quinn's M&Ms.

At the moment they were watching Gia, which Chloe had never seen and Quinn immediately forced her to watch. When the credits scrolled up the screen, Quinn wanted to ask Chloe a question she didn't know how to word.

"Oh my God Quinn, that was the best I've ever seen Angelina Jolie. I loved Girl Interrupted but why didn't she win an Oscar for _that_?" Chloe's face was full of excitement when Quinn lifted her head from her chest and smiled at her. Chloe tugged Quinn tighter so she laid her head back down with half her body still draped over her friend. Quinn didn't miss how Chloe held her possessively. She figured that her friend wished they did belong to each other but settled for these moments of closeness.

"Definitely my favorite Angeline Jolie movie."

"I can see why..."

Quinn thought Chloe had more to say but her voice sounded like she was in a far off land. She thought better of the conversation she was about to start and allowed silence to invade the room. Both of Chloe's arms tightened around Quinn's back, squeezing her hard. Quinn couldn't really breathe so she moved on top of Chloe so that she could hold her the way she wanted to. The gesture was small but she knew Chloe appreciated it. Her ear was directly on her heart and the way it sped up couldn't be missed.

No words were exchanged between them. Their bodies communicated and conveyed what their mouths couldn't. They both made huge mistakes. Chloe's mistake was sleeping with Santana. Quinn's mistake was not having the courage to tell Chloe how she felt in the first place. As much is she would like to overlook the reasons that they aren't even at least dating, she just couldn't. Even though, with Santana's track record, anyone Quinn dates in the future could have slept with her, this was just too close to home.

Daring to break their easy, comfortable bubble, Quinn spoke. "Chloe can I talk to you about something serious?"

"Of course, wassup?" Chloe let Quinn go and pushed herself up on her elbows. Quinn rolled off her and sat up, folding her legs Indian style.

"Can I talk to you about girls? And I want an honest answer."

Chloe's eyebrows shot up and she flashed Quinn a beautiful nervous smile. "Uh, I don't see why not. Is there...is there someone you're seeing?"

Quinn knew the question hurt Chloe to ask and she was grateful that the girl was willing to inflict pain on herself for the sake of being a good friend.

"Chloe, if it makes you uncomfortable, we can just pop in another movie and cuddle." Quinn told her, ease and sincerity in her tone.

"No, no. If you need to talk about anything ever, I'm here, always. So..." She sat up and mirrored Quinn's position. "Are you?"

"No, I'm not seeing anyone."

"Then what girl stuff do you need to talk about?"

"Well...how and when did you know you were gay, like for certain."

"Gosh. I probably figured it out around eight. There were these twins at my school, a boy and a girl. They were both ridiculously attractive. All the guys worshiped the girl and all the girls worshiped the boy, except me. I was always staring at his sister. By the time I turned fourteen I was masturbating to images of random girls. Celebrities, classmates, people on the street. Yet I still had no idea what the hell 'gay' was. I didn't really think my feelings towards females was unusual, not until I learned what homosexuality was, which was around that time. My freshman year in high school. There was this girl who dressed like a boy and I thought she _was _a boy until I heard her speak. I asked her about her sexuality and she told me she liked girls, I was fascinated." Chloe reached over to pick up her cup on her night stand and took a big gulp.

"Anyway, that was the day I realized I liked girls in the same way she did. I didn't do anything about it for another year. I was terrified, I had no clue how to even approach a girl, even though there was no shortage of lesbians at my school."

"So, how'd you go about the first girl you ever..." Quinn let her sentence hang in the air as she anxiously awaited the rest of Chloe's story.

"There was a girl who was _very _promiscuous and somewhat of a ladies woman if you will. We had a mutual friend and I asked him to hook us up. She was all for it, we kissed that day and had sex the next."

"Wait what?" She couldn't imagine kissing someone once then sleeping with them the very next day.

"Yeah."

"Wh...why would you do that?"

"I wanted to get it over with."

"Get what over with?"

"Sex. I was so excited. I told her upfront that I had no interest in a relationship, I just wanted her to show me the ropes, which she happily did."

Quinn scrunched her face up. "Didn't you want to be in love? Take your time?"

Chloe shrugged one shoulder. "I've never really been a 'take time' type of girl. I like to take charge, seize life by the throat. I've always been this way."

"Oh."

"So, what's up?"

"What do you mean."

"You asked for a reason."

She did, but she wanted to ignore it for now. "Why do you think it took you a year to act on your feelings?"

"I'm not sure I fully understood them even when I recognized them. Once I was able to put a name to my feelings, I basically shrugged it off. I'm not sure why exactly, but the second I felt ready to explore, I dove in head first."

She smirked. "Clearly."

"Shut up." Chloe slapped Quinn's thigh as they shared a light laugh.

"What's it like? Being intimate with a woman." She'd been wanting to ask forever, but didn't know how. Since they were already on the subject, she went for it.

"It's...it's hard to explain. I've never been with a man so I have nothing to compare it to."

"I've never been with a guy either, obviously. I'm not asking what's it like in comparison, I'm just wondering, what's it like to be that close to a woman."

"It's sweet and intimate. Passionate yet tender. It's incredible really, if she knows what she's doing."

"Girl's can be bad in bed? With another girl? I thought that was the point, to 'know' what to do because you've got the same equipment."

"You'd think so, but every girl isn't good at it."

It was killing her to _not _ask. She wanted to so bad but thought it was inappropriate. But she so desperately wanted to know what Santana's bedroom skills were like. She assumed her roommate was talented, she had enough practice, but _how _good was she? It wasn't her place to ask and she felt awkward even thinking about it so she settled for an, "Oh."

"I've been with like..." She paused and looked up to the ceiling, rubbing her chin in contemplation. "Maybe twenty or so girls. Let's just round to twenty. Okay so out of them, maybe three of them were bad sexual experiences."

"Bad how?"

"This one girl, it was like she didn't know any other area existed down there except the hole. At first I thought, oh nice, she's got a long tongue, this is okay. But she didn't really do anything else down there. This other girl, ugh, she was the worst!" Chloe laughed. "She wouldn't open her mouth."

Quinn's eyebrows furrowed. "Huh?"

"She'd...she'd" Chloe started but couldn't get another word out due to her laughing. "She'd keep it closed." She laughed harder. "It was terrible!"

"I'm not understanding, how can you perform oral sex with your mouth closed." Quinn stated seriously.

"Exactly!" At that point, Chloe burst into a fit of hysterical laughing. She continued and Quinn waited patiently for her to calm down and elaborate. "God, that was such a mess of a relationship. Anyway, She'd kinda peek her tongue out and move it up and down tightly. I tried everything I could to teach her how to at least open up her mouth but she just couldn't get it. Hopefully she found a better teacher than I was at the time. I was pretty much a baby lesbian too but I knew how to eat pussy well, immediately. I thought it came natural to all women until I found out I was very, _very _wrong."

"And the third?"

"She didn't taste too good so that sucked. She didn't know what to do with her tongue and her moan was insufferable. Nothing to kill the mood faster than an unsexy moan."

"How do I know if _I'm _gay?"

"Easy, are you gay?"

Quinn snorted. "I'm being serious."

"So am I!" Chloe protested. "Answer the question."

"I really don't know Chloe. I think, I think I might be, yeah."

She shrugged. "Okay then."

"That's it?"

"Quinn, you're one of the smartest people I know, this isn't that difficult. There's so much pressure in society. They make you feel like you have to have _this _title or fit in _that _box. I'm here to tell you, you don't. Just go with what feels right to you."

"It's that simple?" Quinn asked, not really believing.

"I promise you, it's that simple." She let out a sigh. "Sadly, had I not fucked this up, I could have shown you just how gay you are."

Quinn picked up a pillow and flung it at her friend. "Chloe! Don't be crass."

"Sorry, sorry." She apologized, laughing.

* * *

Ignoring the loud music Santana had blasting because she probably had a girl in their room proved difficult for Quinn. She just wanted to lay down and possibly catch a quick nap before preparing for mid terms. She always liked to be ahead of her work and attending Yale didn't change that. So instead of napping comfortably in her bed, she and Rachel were leaning on each other with her laptop sitting in the middle of them. They each had an ear bud in to listen to an animal expose on alligators. Animal Planet was something the two friends found out they both enjoyed. Halfway through the program, the loud music shut off. She thought she heard more than two voices but shook it off. Santana couldn't be in there with two women, could she?

The answer she really didn't want came striding out her shared room. Santana leaned against the door frame in her red plush robe. Two very attractive girls made their way out the apartment but not before each of them gave Santana a kiss on her cheek.

"Did you seriously...with two women?" Quinn couldn't believe the way Santana behaved sometimes.

"If you're asking if I just fucked both of them, then the answer is yes." Santana said, smugly.

"I thought we discussed this Santana, you can't put your mouth on everything." Rachel said. She pressed pause and took her ear bud out, Quinn followed suit.

"Ew! I do _not _eat girls out. Actually, I've only ever put my mouth on one person so shut it."

"If you don't perform oral sex on your conquests, then what do you do?"

Santana sat in one of the arm chairs. "I use my fingers or my strap, or both." She grinned evilly. "A girl has to be special for me to give her head, that's not for anyone and so far only one girl has deserved this skilled mouth." Santana stood and walked towards the bathroom. "Now if you ladies will excuse me, I have to get ready. I have a date."

"A date? Like you'll actually talk to this person and get to know her? Maybe see if you like her?" Rachel asked hopefully.

"No. I've been trying to fuck my TA since August. She finally agreed to a date, I'll get her drunk and loose and then...well since she's made me wait so long, I'll hit in my truck." She disappeared behind the bathroom door.

"I really wish she'd slow down, maybe find a nice girl."

"Why? Who cares? It's her life." Quinn put her ear bud back in and looked over at Rachel. "What?" Her roommate seemed to be struggling with something, the battle was dancing behind her big brown eyes. "What is it?" She tried again.

"Nothing, it's nothing."

* * *

Loud coughing startled Quinn awake, her eyes immediately landed on Santana, shaking in her bed, still coughing loudly. Quinn pulled her covers back and swung her legs around, the alarm clock read 2:48. She wiped the sleep out her eyes with her fist and stood.

"Santana?"

"What?" Came the gravelly reply. Then more coughing.

"Santana, aw you're sick." She touched her forehead with the back of her hand. Santana was burning up.

"No I'm not..." More coughing. "I don't get sick."

"Shh, stop talking. I'll be right back."

Ten minutes later Quinn came back with a tray from their kitchen. "I need you to sit up a little bit okay?" She pulled Santana's covers down and helped her sit up, placing her pillows behind her for support.

"What's all this?" Santana asked, eyeing the contents of the tray.

"NyQuil, water to take it with , orange juice because you need to stay hydrated, hot tea with lemon and honey, cough drops, Vick's vapor rub, and a box of tissues for that runny nose." Quinn opened a cough drop and plopped it in the tea, then did the same with another.

"Why are you doing that?" Her voice was raspy and Quinn thought it probably hurt for her talk.

"It's a trick my mom taught me..." Her pause wasn't due to the intense gaze Santana was giving her but because she _never _casually mentioned her mother, she never talked about her in general. "She uh, well you put the cough drops in the tea so it melts it. It'll soothe your sore throat while also helping with the cough. Two birds, one stone. Here, drink." Santana slowly took the cup of tea and sipped. "Open your mouth." Quinn gently place a thermometer under Santana's tongue, once it beeped Quinn felt panic rush through her. "Oh no, Santana you have a very high fever, let's see if this NyQuil can knock it out."

Santana picked her tea back up as Quinn opened the box of Nyquil pills, she popped out two and held them in the palm of her hand, offering them to her very sick roommate. Santana childishly shook her head.

"Santana come on." Her head swayed from side to side again as she continued to sip the tea. "You have to take these, it'll help with the fever and put you to sleep." She didn't budge. "You need your rest Santana, it'll make you feel better, I promise." Santana eyed the large aquamarine pills as if they were rat poison. "It's not going to hurt you, it'll help." She tried again. She sighed and almost laughed when Santana put the tea cup back on the tray and sucked both of her full lips into her mouth, slowly shaking her head.

Even with a nasty cough and a fever of 103 degrees, Santana still managed to look flawless. Her effortless beauty never more evident than at night or early in the morning when she wasn't done up. No fancy clothes. No make up. Hair a mess. Yet still, possibly even more so, she was breathtaking. They had a long staring match and Quinn used the time to really _look _at the girl. Nothing made sense in that moment. She had no idea why she felt such panic upon the realization that Santana had a very bad cold and a high fever. Even more confusing was her dominating _need _to take care of the girl she shares her space with.

Quinn was clearly wining this battle as Santana's eyes started to drop. "Let's go Santana, I have an exam at 8:30, I need my rest too." Her beautiful roommate sighed and opened her hand. After what was the most dramatic display of pill taking Quinn had ever witnessed, she asked Santana to lay flat on her back.

"Are you hot?" Santana nodded slightly. "Okay, why don't you take your shirt off. Why are you wearing clothes anyway?" Santana rarely ever wore clothes to bed, the sweat stained white tee was an odd sight.

"I guess I just fell asleep." Came the quiet reply that Quinn might not have heard if their dorm wasn't dead silent.

"Okay, want me to help you?" She asked when Santana still hadn't made a move to take the shirt off. Her small nod put Quinn into action. Santana wasn't exactly cooperating and made her do most of the work. Her roommate wasn't heavy but it wasn't easy supporting most of her weight while lifting her shirt up and off, but she managed. She tried, she really tried to not look at those beautiful breasts, but she was only human. Santana seemed a bit out of it which pleased Quinn because that meant the medicine was starting to kick in. The vapor rub still had the same foul smell she remembered from her childhood. A litany of memory's inundated her mind and caused her heart to speed up a bit. She missed her parents, so much. The thought wasn't one she had in a while and the sudden sadness consumed her. However there was a sick friend just inches from where she sat that needed her help.

Rubbing the Vick's on Santana's chest was more pleasant than uncomfortable, in fact the only discomfort she felt was the tinge of jealously that jabbed her in the gut. Santana had two large hickeys on her shoulder and chest. Shaking off her thoughts, she continued to rub, carefully, slowly. The sigh of content that came from the girl under her hands set a brand new fire alight inside of her, but that needed to be shelved; for now.

"How's that feel?" She twisted the cap back on a moved the tray next to the waste basket on the floor. She hoped if Santana needed to vomit, she'd use the can.

"Mmm, wonderful." Quinn went to stand but a soft hand on her wrist halted her movements. "Where ya going?" She whined.

"I'll be right back." And she was, this time with a wash cloth and a bowl full of cold water. She sat back in her spot, right by Santana's hip and put the bowl on the night stand that separated their beds. She wrung out the cloth in the bowl and folded it. Santana sighed again when the cold, damp cloth reached her forehead.

Quinn tucked Santana's bed spread up to the top of her chest and stroked her hair. "Better?" Her voice was softer than normal, and loving to her own ears. She wondered if Santana picked up on it. The beautiful ill girl opened her eyes.

"Much." Santana nuzzled into Quinn's touch as her hand repeatedly stroked her hair. With their eyes still locked, Santana smiled the smallest smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I only have one exam tomorrow and once we're done he let's us leave. So here's what I'll do, I go take the test and skipped the rest of my classes so I can come back here to take care of you."

"No Quinn, you don't..." Her sentence was rudely interrupted by another cough. Once she gathered herself she seemed to be reaching for the tissues so Quinn beat her to it. She blew her nose and tossed the tissue on the floor. Quinn didn't say anything, she just picked it up and placed it in the can. "You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I will anyway. You don't lift a finger okay, I shouldn't be gone more than an hour. Now get some sleep while I try to do the same." There was no room for argument.

"Okay."

* * *

Santana's coughing woke her up twice more before six am and each time she'd re-wet the wash cloth then lay it back on her forehead. She managed to get another hour and a half hour of uninterrupted sleep before the alarm went of.

"Knock, knock. Good morning, someone has an exam today so..." Rachel handed Quinn a obscenely large pencil, the same pencil she always gave her on days she had exams. On days when both she and Tina had a test or presentation, Rachel would have them both rub the pencil before they left. On days like today when only one of them had something Rachel deemed they needed a good luck charm for, she'd graciously give them the pencil to walk around with. Years later when they were sat in Tina's office, at her own small practice, they'd both ask Rachel how she always knew their test schedules. But the actress would never tell them.

"Oh no, is someone sick?" Rachel asked worriedly as Quinn took the pencil.

"Yeah, shh." Quinn pointed to the door and Rachel left out. Quinn wasn't far behind with her items she needed to get ready. "She woke me up in the middle of the night sounding like she was coughing up a lung."

"One of us should stay with her, let's consult with Tina."

"It's okay Rach, I've got it."

"But you have an exam." Rachel all but yelled.

"Will you keep it down." Quinn walked into the bathroom and set her things down on the sink. "I'll go take my exam and come right back, I'll look after her okay? No need to worry."

"Are you sure? We could take shifts."

"I got her Rach."

"Only if you're sure." When Quinn nodded Rachel smiled her signature mega watt smile. "Okay great, keep me updated and if either of you need anything text me and I'll be here in a hurry."

"Thanks Rach."

"No need to thank me, that's what friends are for. Good luck on your test." Rachel pulled Quinn down for a bone crushing hug. She wondered how the little woman possessed so much strength.

"Yeah well, thanks for being such a good friend." Tina, their just as loved but seldom seen roommate, trudged in the bathroom just as Rachel pulled away.

"Tina, make sure you keep an eye on your phone Santana has fallen ill and Quinn here has volunteered to look after her but one of them might need something and if they can't reach me they need to be able to reach you. Okay bye, love you guys."

"Did you catch any of that?" Quinn asked her half sleep roommate.

"Not really, how does she talk so fast? And how does she always have so much energy?"

"And how is it she's _always _smiling?"

"I got it, she's on drugs." Tina replied, dryly. Quinn had to cover her mouth so Santana wouldn't be woken up to her loud laughter.

* * *

"Name some writers who collaborate."

"The Farley brothers." A male student answered Quinn's poetry professor. Most of the students laughed but Quinn hadn't the slightest idea who the Farley brothers were. Chloe noticed her cluelessness and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"They're in the movie business."

"What have they done?" Quinn whispered back.

"Dumb and Dumber, There's Something About Mary, Shallow Hal." Chloe listed.

"Oh." They continued to listen to their professor talk and Quinn felt very anxious. She assumed he'd dive right into the exam but he'd been in front of the class talking for at least five, she looked at her phone, six minutes. Her leg bounced up and down, ready for the test so she could take it and get back to Santana.

"So I want you all to collaborate on a poem." Quinn caught at the tail end of his lecture. "Now I know some of you have made friends with your classmates so I've taken the liberty of assigning you a partner. You have two weeks from today to get it done. I don't care where or how you do it, just get it done. And to make your lives even harder, I don't care what the subject of the poem is, just make it fifty to one hundred words."

Quinn thought that might make it easier for her, to not be confined to one subject, but she could see how that might be harder for others to not have any starting point. She barely heard her name paired with someone named Joy. She looked to her left where Chloe had the most adorable pout on her face. Quinn knew it was because they wouldn't be working together and suddenly the pout was endearing. She gave Chloe a half smile as her instructor handed out the exam. Once the man was behind his desk she flipped open her packet and smiled to herself. This test was going to be cake which meant she'd be back to Santana much sooner than she thought.

* * *

"Quinn?" A extremely attractive girl came up behind her just as she walked past the soda machines. It was more like light jogging actually because she needed to hurry to make sure Santana was okay.

"Yes."

"I'm Pepper." The dark-haired girl extended her hand. Her lips were the first thing Quinn noticed. They were full and almost as pink as her own. Her smile as soft and her teeth were stark white. Quinn couldn't make out her body under her heavy coat but she sort of remembered staring at her breast at the beginning of the school year when it was still hot enough for tank tops. If memory served correctly, the girl in front of her had very large, round, perky breast and hips to die for.

"Pepper, hi, nice to meet you but..."

"We're working on the poem assignment together."

Quinn stopped trying to escape and looked Pepper over. "I thought I was working with Joy something."

"Pepperdine. Joy Pepperdine. But no one calls me Joy, unless they don't want me to answer." She smiled again and Quinn could have melted right where she stood. Her blue eyes seemed to look right through Quinn and she grew uncomfortable, nervous even.

"Oh, well Pepper, nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Now, I like to get my assignments out the way as soon as we get them, so any chance we could meet up today?"

"I'd love to, I myself like to tackle my assignments immediately but my roommate is sick. Actually that's where I'm off to now, I've got to go take care of her."

Pepper's face morphed into one of understanding and admiration. "Aww, that's so sweet, taking care of your sick roommate. Alright well I won't keep you just call me and let me know when we can meet." Pepper handed her a piece of paper.

"Will do. She should be well enough by tomorrow, the next day at the latest."

"Okay, talk to you soon."

* * *

Back at the dorm Quinn heard Santana whimpering as soon as she opened their front door. She dropped her book bag in their small kitchen and raced to their room.

"Santana, what's wrong?"

"It hurts." She cried.

"What? What hurts?"

"My legs."

"Okay calm down." Quinn tried to hold Santana still as she continued to whimper and squirm. "Santana I need you to calm down okay? Hold on I'll be right back."

Not a minute later she returned to their room and pulled Santana up so she could drink the Gatorade she brought. "I told you, you need to stay hydrated." Quinn looked at the tray where the orange juice remained untouched. "You're so hard-headed." Quinn complained as Santana sipped the blue beverage.

"Sorry." She said weakly.

"It's okay just drink up." The cloth had fallen on the floor and sat surrounded by used tissues. Quinn rolled her eyes and shook her head at Santana. "Okay, come on let me stretch your legs." After sitting the half empty bottle of Gatorade on their night stand, she attempted to pull the comforter back.

"Noooo." Santana cried out. Quinn couldn't believe what a baby she was being. She stood up straight and put her hands on her hips.

"Santana, you let me stretch your legs right now." She only pulled her covers tighter and shook her head in defiance. Quinn went to the bottom of the bed and before Santana could maneuver her feet so the covers would be stuck under them, Quinn snatched them and threw them up. She could see from Santana's pale feet to her knees. "Stop crying." That's exactly what Santana had resorted to, actual tears. "Jesus." Quinn muttered under her breath as she lifted Santana's right leg.

* * *

Many tears later and about twenty minutes of stretching, Santana said her legs felt _much _better. She knocked off the rest of the Gatorade and Quinn left the room to make her mother's chicken noodle soup. Going back into their room, she should have known getting Santana to eat the soup would be quite the task, but she held onto hope.

No such luck.

Santana had whined and almost cried, _again_, the entire forty five minutes it took Quinn to get her to eat only half the bowl. Tired and frustrated, she left Santana in her room with her laptop open in front of her and Knocked Up in the disk tray. On the living room couch, where she'd gone to escape, she heard coughing mixed in with light laughing. Just then it dawned on her that she hadn't taken her temperature for over seven hours, so she hopped up and walked slowly to her room.

"Santana?"

"Hmm?" She hummed.

"I need to take your temperature again."

"Okay." That was easier than she expected. Just as she had the night before, she placed the thermometer under Santana's tongue. With the thermometer in place, Quinn picked up more tissues and placed them in their waste basket. It beeped and Quinn felt a little relief to see her temperature was now 101 degrees.

"Good, your fever is going down." Quinn moved to leave the room but Santana saying her name quietly stopped her. "Wassup?"

"Could you make me some more tea, with those little cough drops and the lemon and stuff."

She smiled at her. "Sure, I'll be right back.

* * *

While Santana napped Quinn happily studied. She made it through about two hours of uninterrupted reading before she heard her name. She stood from the couch and stretched as many bones as she could, before walking into her room.

"Hey sickey, wassup?"

"Could I have some more tea and could you rub that smelly stuff on me again?"

"Sure, give me a minute."

"Okay."

Quinn moved swiftly in the kitchen. She put the kettle on the stove, took out the lemon, tea bag, honey and sugar. She refilled the bowl she had on the night stand with cold water. While the kettle heated up, she walked back into the room to find Santana lying on her back with her spread gathered at her waist, her breasts on full display. They were even more perfect in the light of day. Her eyes were closed and there was a grimace on her beautiful features.

"What's wrong?" Quinn asked, walking up to the night stand, sitting the bowl down. Santana cracked one eye open.

"My top is hot but my bottom is cold." She complained, sounded like a small child.

"Here give me that." Quinn reached for the drying cloth on her head and dipped in it the water. She placed it back on Santana's head after it was rung out.

"Can you put that rub stuff on now?"

Quinn didn't reply, she just grabbed the jar off the tray by her feet and sat down. Santana's breasts moved with the movement of the bed and Quinn was instantly wet. Then instantly guilty. She shouldn't get turned on looking at the girl's chest when she was trusting her to take care of her. So she determinedly stared at Santana's face. Problem was, her face was just as beautiful as every other inch of her. Her fingers gathered some of the Vick's and she slowly, softly rubbed it on her chest.

"Mmm, that feels nice."

"Yeah?"

"Definitely. Thanks Quinnie."

She didn't even notice Santana using her sister's nickname. "No problem Santana. You don't have to thank me you know. This is what friends do." Santana opened her eyes and they stared. Quinn didn't have the chance to read what might be behind those eyes before she heard the kettle pot whistling.

When she reentered the room, Santana was all covered up and her cloth was discarded in the bowl. Quinn sat the cup of tea on the night stand and put the cloth back on her forehead.

"Don't argue with me." She said sternly when Santana went to argue. "Let it cool off." She instructed as Santana attempted to reach for the cup. She unwrapped a cough drop and put it in the cup, then she did the same with a second one.

"Why does that tea feel so good? What do you do to it?"

"It's the cough drops." Quinn supplied. "They melt and coat your throat."

"Ohhhh, makes sense."

They resumed their silent staring as Quinn brushed Santana's hair with her hand. "She do this to you?"

Santana coughed before she answered. "She who?"

"That chick I saw climb out the back of your truck the other evening, fixing her clothes."

"Oh that TA I _finally_ banged? I'm not sure. It's just a common cold."

"Yeah, you kiss so many hoes, who knows which one of them infected you."

"Hey! I don't really kiss them all like that. Only a little bit if at all. Hoes don't get kissed."

"Whatever you say Santana."

"I don't go around kissing every bitch I fuck Quinn."

"Mm hmm, sure you don't."

"I don't." She insisted.

"Okay, okay. I'm just teasing."

"Q?"

"Yes?" Her hand was still running through Santana's locks.

"Are you... are you and Chloe a thing?" It seemed like every time before when Santana had asked that question, she was just being nosy. But lying here under Quinn's care, while very sick, it seemed to be pure curiosity. Maybe a little concern?

"No Santana, Chloe and I have decided just be friends."

"Not friends who fuck?"

"I'm a virgin." That brought some of the life back to Santana as she sat up straight. The wash cloth fell on her spread and left a big wet mark. "Santana!" Quinn quickly grabbed the wash cloth and gently pushed Santana's shoulders so she'd lay back down.

"You are _not _a virgin."

"I am actually."

"No way."

"Way."

"_HOW_." She drawled and her face scrunched up in disbelief.

"I don't know, it's just never happened. I honestly didn't have a social life before coming here, I'm sort of a book-worm. I liked to spend all my time reading and writing and the rest of the time I used to study and do my school work. There wasn't much time for anything else."

"Sooooo, you've never had a boyfriend?"

"Nope."

"No one has even given you head?"

"No Santana, now drink your tea."

"No, no hold on. You've never had an orgasm?"

"Do the ones I've given myself count?" That caused Santana to laugh which quickly turned into a violent coughing fit. Their easy banter forgotten, Quinn pulled Santana into a seated position and handed her the cup of tea.

"Santana?"

"Yeah?"

"When are you going to find yourself a nice girl? You know just _one_ girl who you can love, who can love you back?"

"You and Rachel keep asking me about love like my answer will somehow change. Newsflash, it won't. Fuck love, it's stupid. There's like seven billion people in the world, most of them women, most of which I can more than likely get to fuck me. Why the fuck would I get so hung up on just one?" Santana rolled her eyes. "I just hate those words." She continued. "They're just that, words. It's how someone looks at you, it's what they sacrifice for you. What they do to make you happy. It's in actions, not those three stupid fucking words. Love is what you do, not what you say. People put so much emphasis in hearing those words, they should be more worried about the respect their partner shows them."

Quinn didn't know much about love, and up until just that very second, she was sure Santana didn't know anything about the subject either. But after her little rant, what Santana had said about love made more sense to her than anything else she had ever heard about the stupid four letter word.

* * *

"How's your roommate?" Pepper asked two days later while Quinn was packing up her book bag.

"It was touch and go there for a while, I actually almost took her to the hospital when her fever spiked for a second time but she refused to let me take her. She's fully functioning now though."

"Good, so we can get started?"

"Sure, when's your last class?"

"This is my only class today so I'm available whenever."

"Quinn come on woman." Chloe half yelled with only her head sticking out from behind the door.

"One sec."

"So, yours or mine?" Quinn thought very briefly before she made her decision.

"There's a succubus that lives in mine and she's fully healthy so yours, definitely."

Pepper laughed and licked her lips, leaving her tongue out for a little. "A succubus?"

"A lady loving succubus at that. I wouldn't want you to get devoured."

"Mine it is then."

* * *

Pepper didn't live on campus, she had a very nice, spacious one bedroom apartment about ten minutes away. Photography lined all the walls, and where there should have been a TV, there was a pile of books. Actually, there were books everywhere with no shelves in site. Books on and under the television stand. Books stacked high against the walls. Books blanketing the coffee table in front of her. Books behind the couch, in the kitchen, everywhere. This was an instant turn on to Quinn. No one she'd ever met shared her passion for literature, not until she met Chloe. But Pepper's collection blew Chloe's out of the water.

"Thank you." Pepper handed her a cup of tea which had just the right amount of sugar and honey. "Mmm, you make a good cup of tea."

"Why thank you. So, are you and the hottie with the body dating?"

"Excuse me?" She glanced at the coffee table looking for an opening to sit her mug down, when she came up empty, she turned her attention back to Pepper.

"Chloe, you two are always together, I was just wondering if you were hitting that?"

"Uh, no. We're just friends. Why, do you like her?"

"No. So why aren't you together?"

She wasn't sure but it seemed as though Pepper had assumed she was gay, why else would she be asking if she was dating another girl. Instead of voicing her thoughts she answered her question. "We could have but... things got really complicated. Like I said we're just friends."

"Are you dating anybody at all?"

"No, I'm not."

"There's no special girl you've got your eye on? Maybe some prospects?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"Really? That's shocking."

"Why?"

"Because, you're so beautiful."

She didn't really know how to respond when someone complimented her on her looks. It was even more difficult to think of anything to say when the girl complimenting her looked like a movie star or super model.

"Um, thanks. So what should we write our poem on?"

"How about a first kiss?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, we could..." She paused and scooted closer. Their legs were fully pressed against the other's. "We could talk about the anticipation." Pepper looked down at Quinn's lips and she shuddered. Was this goddess of a woman coming on to her? "And the tingling you feel shooting through your body while your lips grow closer. How everything is unknown until your lips finally meet." By this point, Pepper was very much invading Quinn's personal space. "Then we can describe it using really sexy adjectives."

"What are you doing?" Peppers lips were so close, if Quinn moved just a tiny bit, they'd be touching.

"Allowing art to imitate life."

"We shouldn't." She heard herself saying even though everything in her said the opposite.

"Oh please, you've stared at my boobs all day. It's okay," She said quickly. "That's what they're there for. Wanna touch them?"

"Uh..."

Pepper grabbed both her wrist and put her hand over her breasts. When Quinn went to move them, she placed her hands over Quinn's, keeping them firmly in place.

"Oh, wow. They're very lovely." She didn't really know what else to say and if they weren't occupied with Pepper's "lovely" breasts, she would have buried her face in her hands.

Pepper just giggled and thanked her, then she leaned in for the kill.

"I've never been kissed." She blurted out.

"She leaned back and allowed Quinn's hands to drop. "What?"

"I've never been kissed before."

Pepper put a little distance between them. "You have got to be kidding me. Hottie with the body didn't try?"

"We just didn't get that far."

"You didn't have a line of chicks and dicks trying to get with you in high school?"

"Uh, no. Why would I?"

Pepper put a little more space between them. "Cause you're smoking hot. Just the right type of hot too. That I-have-no-idea-how-hot-I-am type of hot. That's the hottest of the hot. Not to mention that fucking face you've got. Those eyes, that smile, that skin. All of it." She moved her hands in the air around Quinn's body. "It just works. Your fucking stunning Quinn."

She was blushing furiously by this point. No one had ever really explained themselves before. She's heard she's "cute" or "pretty" but it just wasn't what she saw when she looked in the mirror. She was certain there were tons of girls far more beautiful than she. Like the one sitting five inches away.

"Well, um, I've never even been on a date. I didn't have much of a social life." It was a sentence that played on repeat. "I basically kept my head in my books. Even now, I doubt I'd go out at all if my roommates didn't force me."

"Oh." The contemplative look on Peppers face caused anxiety in Quinn. Pepper moved just a little bit further away and Quinn was sure she'd scared her off. Then Pepper's smile became shy. "Would you, maybe, go on a date with me?"

"Really?"

"Yes really you silly girl. I'd really like to take you out on a proper first date. If I kissed you now, I'm likely to maul your sexy ass, but I don't want to do that. You deserve respect and romance."

"You just made me grab your boobs." Quinn stated matter of factly, but Pepper just laughed and had the decency to look a bit shameful.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. In my defense, that was before I realized how sweet and innocent you were. Go on a date with me? Please?"

The distinct feeling that Pepper didn't normally ask for things made Quinn want to say yes. "Okay, yes, I'll go on a date with you."

A huge grin spread across her face. "Great! So we can start our poem after our date which will be tomorrow evening. Actually, why don't you come here around six. I'll cook for you and we can just talk, then maybe we could go for some drinks?"

"I'd much rather stay in."

"Then that's what we'll do. Since we're postponing this poem, wanna watch Netflix?"

"What's that, a movie?"

Pepper laughed loudly. "No, it's... where's my laptop?" She asked herself. "Come on, let's go lay in my bed."

"Aren't we skipping a few steps?"

"I'll behave, I just like to lie down when I watch movies and such." Quinn followed Pepper down a hallway that had books stacked up against the walls all the way to the end. Her room had a bed, a dresser and books. More books than anywhere else Quinn had seen in the house.

"You really love to read huh?" Quinn asked from the doorway. Pepper looked up from her MacBook and followed Quinn's line of sight.

"Oh," She shrugged then busied herself with her laptop again. "I only notice them when someone points them out."

"How do you find what you want to read?"

"I know where every book I own is." Quinn was definitely impressed. There were more books than there was apartment, she had to have thousands. "Name a book, I bet you I have it."

"The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold."

Pepper looked up from her laptop again, her eyes wide. "That's my favorite book, I have like five copies."

"That's _my _favorite book." They paused and regarded each other. Quinn barely knew this girl but she thought she was perfect. Pepper stood from her bed and walked over to stand in front of Quinn. She took both her hands and tucked Quinn's hair behind her ears.

"You're perfect." Pepper left the room then returned moments later with three different copies of their favorite book. She sat them next to Quinn who had taken a seat next to Pepper's MacBook. She rummaged through one pile near her closet and pulled out another copy. She went to her dresser and pulled out a fifth. "See, five copies."

"Impressive."

"I know." She responded playfully. She hopped on the bed and turned her laptop towards Quinn. "Pick something."

Quinn was enamored with all the selections of shows and movies. This Netflix thing was pretty awesome, and she wondered why she hadn't heard of it until now. She couldn't decide so Pepper put on Kick Ass. They laughed the whole time and by the time the credits were rolling, they were snuggled close together.

"Wanna watch something else?" Pepper asked as they sat up.

"Actually, I should go tackle some of my homework."

"Yeah, I've got some too, but I'd totally neglect it to spend a little more time with you."

It was tempting, extremely tempting, but she didn't clown around when it came to her education. She never had and she wasn't about to start. "I'd love to stay, but I should go."

"Okay I guess." She said reluctantly.

"Can I ask you something."

"Anything."

"Why don't you have book shelves?"

"Because Quinn, beautiful pieces of art shouldn't be confined to shelves. Neatly stacked and squished together. I'd never treat my books like that. Its literary prison. In short, I just don't believe in being that organized. Books should be free."

It was silly, but adorable.

When they got to her front door, they faced each other. "This was kinda like a date. In fact I'm sure one _would_ classify this as a date. We talked, laughed, ate candy, watched a movie, even cuddled. This was so a date."

"It kinda was huh?"

"Yeah, it was."

Quinn started to feel the anticipation. The tingling shooting through her body. The unknown as Pepper's lips neared her own. She didn't realize she was backing up until her back met the door. Pepper looked her in the eyes, she silently asked for permission. Quinn hoped the only thing Pepper saw was absolute certainty. Actually, Quinn had never wanted anything more. Pepper put both her hands on either side of Quinn's head, and laid them flat against the door. Her body moved until it was pressed completely into Quinn's. Her head moved slowly, inching nearer and nearer. When their lips met, Quinn's heart almost exploded. It pounded violently as her pulse raced. Pepper's lips were the single most incredible thing she'd ever felt. She had no clue what she was doing but Pepper guided her, instructed her with her body. And Quinn listened. They found their rhythm, which was slow and tender. Quinn moaned into Pepper's mouth and surprised herself. This felt amazing. Her first kiss was everything she wanted it to be and more. Eventually Pepper's arms wrapped around Quinn's shoulders and neck and she held her close, kissing her sweetly. She pulled her lips away only to place them in various places on Quinn's face. Her cheeks, her jaw, her chin. She stopped and rested her face in Quinn's neck, they held each other in a way Quinn didn't know existed. Pepper held her for a long while before she let her go. They said good night and Quinn floated to her car, not even really sure how she got there. While behind her wheel she thought that was simply the most perfect first date, and an even more perfect first kiss.

* * *

**I will try _VERY_ hard to update Control on Wed. If you haven't read Control, what's up with you? Just kidding, maybe Spemily isn't your thing. Anyway I've got some crazy stuff brewing in my head for that one. This story too. All of them really. This computer situation sucks but hopefully soon, I'll have a new one.**

**Anywho, thoughts?**


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